Peer to Peer
by sunshinelexi
Summary: HidaSaku. Sakura is required to peer counsel Hidan for community service credit. Starts out as the dreaded high school AU, but becomes much, much more. If you like good grammar and spelling and funny, non-cliché romance, then this is the fic for you!
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

"_Listen up, you selfish little shits. You're going to serve the community, and you're going to like it" – Anko_

Sakura stared at the bulletin board and attempted to reconcile herself to her fate. How had she, Sakura Haruno, 16-year-old junior at Konoha High, come to canvass the list of community service options outside her Health classroom five full minutes after the bell had rung?

Well, that was a long story.

OOOOOOO

"_Since helping others is an important part of a person's emotional and spiritual well-being, everyone in this class will have to participate in a mandatory community service project counting for 40% of your final course grade," Iruka-sensei announced at the end of a long (and boring) Health class._

_No sooner had the words left his mouth than the classroom was flooded with annoyed grumbling and vocal complaints._

"_This is lame."_

"_Why do we have to do this?"_

"_What does this have to do with Health?"_

_The shrill sound of a whistle cut through the din. _

"_Listen up, you selfish little shits," their other sensei, Anko, threatened. "You're going to serve the community. And. You're. Going. To. Like. It!"_

_Everyone shut up._

"_Community service options are posted on a bulletin board outside the classroom," Iruka called cheerfully over the bell._

OOOOOOO

… Or maybe not.

It wasn't that Sakura was a self-indulgent snob who hated the idea of community service on principle. In fact, she had previously participated in many community service projects at her local church. It was just that Konoha High's list of options left something to be desired…

_Option #1: Working at the Inuzuka animal shelter._ Well, that was out. Sakura was allergic to cats, and she wasn't particularly fond of big dogs, either.

_Option #2: Participating in a charity basketball game with the proceeds going to Konoha Memorial Hospital._ A soft option for the jocks. Sakura wasn't particularly good at basketball, nor did she enjoy getting hot and sweaty.

_Option #3: Bake sale with the proceeds going to Konoha homeless shelter._ Sakura was an awful cook. Anything she baked was liable to burn past the point of consumption.

_Option #4: Watching the children at Konoha kindergarden._ Sakura already had a part time job babysitting, thank you very much.

_Option #5: Hand-addressing envelopes for Mayor Tsunade_. _Definitely_ not. Her hand was starting to cramp just thinking about it.

_Option #6: Arranging flowers at the Yamanaka flower shop. _Wait a minute, since when does working for a _commercial_ business count as community service? _This must be one of the perks of being popular_, Sakura thought, slightly envious of Ino. Somehow the blonde had been able to finagle it so that her part-time job working for her family also fulfilled the community service requirement. Flower arranging actually sounded sort of fun, but Sakura knew she wouldn't be able to work alongside her ex-best friend. Ino hadn't spoken to her since she had declared her love for Sasuke in middle school, which Sakura thought was a bit unfair. How was she supposed to know that Ino also had a crush on the attractive Uchiha?

_Option #7: Volunteering for the Peer Counseling Program at Konoha High. _That was a possibility. Since the peer counseling program was held at school during study hall, she wouldn't have to worry about catching a ride. Sakura didn't have a license yet, and she was reluctant to ask her parents to drive her places, knowing how busy they were. Sakura flipped up the cover page to see who else had signed up. Her heart jumped to her throat when she read the first name on the list. _Sasuke Uchiha_.

Maybe this wouldn't be so bad, after all…

**A/N**: This was originally part of chapter 1.

Updated 11/7/10- Spelling errors fixed


	2. Session One I

**Main pairing:** HidaSaku

**Other pairings:** SasuNaru, PeinKonan, unrequited HinaSaku, hints of many, many others…

On pairings: There is _no yaoi (or yuri)_ in this story, but there is mild shonen-ai. There are no sexual scenes for any couple other than Hidan and Sakura.

**Content Disclaimer:** Rated M for language, violence, and sexual content later on.

**Copyright Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto.

**UPDATED** 12/9/10- Read the part about Kohana, it's right before the snowglobe part. Kohana is a somewhat important OC from Hidan's past who will come back up later…

OOOOOOO

**Session One**

**(Part I)**

"_Sorry, I'm only attracted to semi-intelligent men"- Sakura._

After signing up for peer counseling, Sakura reported to the guidance office. The office was large and cool, with sterile white walls and air conditioning cranked up to the maximum setting. Several smaller offices branched off the main one, each bearing the name of a current or previous guidance councilor. The windows of the individual offices had been replaced by sheets of opaque plastic, guaranteeing the counselees their privacy.

The secretary at the guidance office didn't know anything about the peer-counseling program. Sakura turned to head toward the main office and abruptly collided with someone who was carrying a large stack of binders. The binders fell to the ground, revealing a very pretty girl with long bluish-black hair and pale eyes.

"I'm sorry," she said, blushing profusely before getting down on her hands and knees to retrieve the binders.

"No, it was my fault," Sakura replied, kneeling to help the girl. She looked somewhat familiar. Sakura'd had a few classes with her, although they'd never talked or anything. As Sakura handed her stack of binders back to the girl she said,

"Hey, it's Hinata, right? What brings you to the guidance office?"

"Um, I was supposed to have public speaking this block, but Kurenai-sensei convinced the principal to let me help out here instead. She's been trying to help me overcome my shyness, but I haven't made much progress," Hinata admitted sadly.

Sakura felt a rush of empathy for the girl. "Don't worry about it, Hinata-san. With all the pressure that's put on us to do well in school, look good for the boys, and fit in with our friends, it's a wonder that any teenage girl has self-confidence!"

Sakura had meant to put her at ease, but if anything, Hinata's blush deepened.

"Thank you, Sakura-san."

"No problem. Say, do you know anything about the peer counseling program?"

"Um, the one with the student volunteers?"

"Yeah. Am I in the wrong place? If I didn't know better, I'd say I was the only one who signed up," Sakura said, laughing nervously.

"You're not the only one. Sasuke-kun got here a few minutes ago. He's counseling Naruto-kun in Hanako-sensei's office."

Sakura couldn't help feeling a bit disappointed that she wouldn't have the chance to talk to Sasuke. _Well I guess it's to be expected. I _did_ get here late, after all, _Sakura thought. _I wonder why Sasuke and I were the only ones who volunteered?_

"So, where do I go?"

"You have to go see Kurenai-sensei in her office."

"Where's that?"

"I can take you. I'm going there right now."

"Thanks, Hinata-san."

Sakura smiled at Hinata and Hinata blushed. Sakura was beginning to think that anything she said or did would bring color to the self-conscious girl's cheeks. That was okay, though. Sakura hadn't talked with a girl as friendly and sincere as Hinata in a long time.

Sakura followed Hinata to Kurenai-sensei's office and knocked on the door for her, since Hinata's arms were otherwise occupied.

"Come in," Kurenai called. "Thank you Hinata. You can put the binders on the desk."

Hinata did as she was told and exited the room, leaving Sakura alone with Kurenai. Kurenai was a unusually beautiful woman with curly black hair and crimson eyes. Sakura had seen her in the halls a couple of times, but it was all she could do not to stare.

Kurenai gave her a warm smile. "Hello. Have you signed up for the peer counseling program?"

"Yes, I have. My name is Sakura Haruno."

"It's nice to meet you, Sakura. Why don't you have a seat?"

Sakura sat in the chair opposite Kurenai, nervously smoothing her skirt around her legs.

Kurenai took the binder on top of the stack and handed it to Sakura.

"You're going to be counseling Yugakure Hidan. This binder contains all the information you'll need. You may look it over at your leisure. But first, I need you to read over this confidentiality agreement," Kurenai said, sliding a piece of paper across the desk. "By signing it, you certify that you won't discuss Hidan's grades or disciplinary records with anyone other than the boy himself."

Sakura quickly read over the agreement, signed her name, and handed it back to Kurenai. She opened the binder to reveal Hidan's complete transcript, disciplinary records, and yearbook picture, as well as several other papers that basically provided a crash course in peer counseling.

"I recommend you start with the icebreaker questions before going into anything too contentious," Kurenai advised. "Hidan will be waiting for you in Jiraiya's office when you're done. It's the third one on the right. Careful of the snow globes. Jiraiya collects them."

Kurenai left the office when she was finished speaking, presumably to fetch Hidan. Sakura leafed through the binder, focusing on the icebreaker questions and the how-to guide. Most of it was common sense, really. Listen to the counselee, be polite, professional, and non-judgmental. Piece of cake. By the time Kurenai returned to her office, Sakura felt she was ready to begin.

OOOOOOO

The first thing Sakura noticed when she stepped into Jiraiya's office was the snow globes. There were about fifty of them, and they covered every available surface of the room, from the desk to the bookshelves to the windowsill. There were snow globes from the usual locations, London, Paris, Rome, New York, Beijing, and Tokyo, as well as snow globes from places Sakura hadn't even head of, such as Aberdeen, Stuttgart, and Volgograd.

The second thing she noticed was Hidan. His yearbook photo didn't do him justice. (They rarely do.) He was much more attractive in person. He had slim silver eyebrows, intense violet eyes, and a wide, full mouth that was currently twisted upward in a cocky smirk. A black bandana decorated with red clouds covered his smooth silver hair. He wore a simple black t-shirt that accentuated his muscular chest, loose-fitting cargo pants, and sloppily laced combat boots. Much to Sakura's chagrin, his feet rested comfortably on Jiraiya's desk as he slouched in his chair and played with a beaded pendant that he wore around his neck. Though he was no Sasuke, Sakura had to admit that he was, well, hot.

"Hello," Sakura said, feeling rather shy.

He looked up at her briefly.

"Yo."

Sakura crossed the room and sat in the chair opposite Hidan.

"Um, could you please sit normally? I'm afraid that you're going to fall back and hurt yourself."

Hidan rolled his eyes, but complied. His boots slid off the desk and hit the ground with an audible clunk. Sakura winced as the snow globes on the desk vibrated slightly in response to his movement.

"Whatever you say, Pinky."

"My name's not 'Pinky.' It's Sakura Haruno," Sakura said firmly.

"…Whatever."

"When someone introduces herself to you, it's polite to give your own name in reply."

"Didn't they already tell you my name?"

"Yes, but I'd like you to say it."

"Hidan."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Hidan," she said, smiling at him and extending her hand for him to shake.

He stared at her hand as if he suspected that she had some sort of contagious disease.

Sakura's smile faltered a bit and she withdrew her hand. Her cheeks burned. Did he _have _to make her feel like an idiot?

She cleared her throat in a futile attempt to cover the awkward moment and opened the binder Kurenai had given her. She scanned the list of "Recommended Icebreakers" and chose a question at random.

"So, Hidan, what are your interests?"

Hidan scrunched up his forehead in an expression of mock concentration.

"Hmmm let's see… sleeping, drinking, smoking, and fucking," he replied, checking them off on his fingers.

Sakura scowled at him. "Don't you have any other interests?"

"Nope, that's about it. Oh, and riding my motorcycle."

"You have a motorcycle?" she asked, a tad interested despite herself.

"Yep. I'm in a biker gang. Does that get you hot, baby?" Hidan asked, running his hand up and down his inner thigh suggestively.

"Sorry, I'm only attracted to semi-intelligent men."

The words were out of her mouth before she could stop them. Sakura couldn't believe she'd actually said something like that. She had to deal with unpleasant people all the time, but the Bible taught that good Christians ought to address even the rudest people with courtesy. Sakura had thought she was pretty good at following that directive. Until now.

Hidan whistled. "Wow. I didn't peg you for the bitchy type."

Sakura wanted to deny the accusation, but her last comment had sounded sort of bitchy even to her. She returned her attention to Hidan's paperwork, looking for something that could help her steer the conversation back to the problem at hand. Somehow, she had to motivate him to pass his classes. That looked to be easier said than done. His grades were dismal.

"It says here that you've been held back… four times?" Sakura asked, attempting to sound neutral and polite.

"Yep. It's a school record," Hidan replied proudly.

"It's not something to be proud of! You're going to ruin the rest of your life!" So much for maintaining a semblance of professionalism.

"Read my lips: I. Don't. Fucking. Care."

Sakura sighed. This clearly wasn't getting her anywhere. She decided to forego the paperwork and ask the question she'd wondered about ever since she'd first laid eyes on him.

"What's that you're wearing around your neck?"

Hidan rolled his eyes again. "What does it look like? It's a fucking rosary."

Sakura's heart leapt. Maybe they had something in common after all…

Her hand unconsciously went to the cross at her neck as she asked, "Are you a Catholic?"

"_Hell_ no. I'm a Jashinist."

Sakura raised her eyebrows. "Is that even a real religion? I've never heard of it before."

Hidan rose from his chair and leaned across the desk. Her cheek brushed against the stubble on his chin as he whispered in her ear, "Jashinism is the _one true religion_, bitch. I worship the God that you know as the Devil."

She drew back from him in shock and revulsion. Oh, that was good. The expression on her face was a major turn on. He couldn't resist leaning closer to run his tongue along the soft flesh of her earlobe and outer ear.

Sakura gave a small shriek and pushed him away from her. She rubbed her ear forcefully to obliterate all traces of his caress.

"Why would you do that? That's disgusting!"

Hidan smirked. "Jashin told me to."

She was counseling a boy who heard voices in his head and believed that the Devil was telling him to do perverted things. _Dear God, please help me_.

Sakura put her head in her hands and rubbed her temples soothingly. When she finally met his gaze, the look in her eyes was bleak. "What am I supposed to do, Hidan? I'm trying to reach out to you or whatever, but you're not cooperating with me at all."

"Why should I cooperate? It's not like I want to be here."

"I don't want to be here either!"

"Then, why are you?"

"Eh?" She hadn't expected him to ask her that.

"Why are you here, if you don't want to be?" he asked, searching her face. He was truly curious about the answer to his question.

"I'm here because I have to do a community service project for Health class," Sakura admitted grudgingly.

"So, blow off the project."

"If I don't do it, I'll fail the class!"

"So, fail."

"If I fail Health, I won't graduate on time!"

"So, don't graduate on time."

"I can't do that, Hidan," she said softly. "I'm not you."

Hidan was surprised to find that he felt a bit sorry for her. He had always assumed that "good" girls like her were snobby bitches who enjoyed kissing up to the teachers and lording it over their classmates. That was how Kohana and her friends had been. But after talking with Sakura, it was obvious that she felt trapped by the need to conform to everyone else's expectations.

"Don't you ever get tired of doing the 'right' thing?" he asked.

"Of course I do. But it's important to follow the rules and grow up to be a productive, contributing member of society."

_There she goes. Just like Ko-fucking-hana. Tell it to someone who cares._

"Bullshit. You're just jumping through the hoops they set for you. You're like a trained seal at one of those water shows."

She pulled away, offended by his comment. "I am not!"

"Arf, arf."

"Hey!" Sakura protested as Hidan took the "Paris" snow globe from atop the desk.

He leaned his head back, and attempted to balance the snow globe on his nose like a seal with a beach ball. Sakura leaned over the desk to recover it, certain that it would break. Unfortunately, their combined weight made Hidan's chair tip over, and Hidan, Sakura, and several snow globes fell to the ground with a loud crash.

Kurenai, Hinata, and the secretary rushed into the office at the sound.

"Are you two all right?" Kurenai asked.

Sakura winced. Her knee had hit the ground pretty hard and a shard of glass from the shattered snow globe had cut her bare leg just below the hem of her skirt.

Hidan's elbow hurt, but he couldn't complain, since his face was conveniently pressed against Sakura's chest. She wore a modest white blouse that only hinted at the possibility of cleavage, yet Hidan somehow found the effect more mouthwatering than that achieved by biker chicks clad in black leather brassieres.

He couldn't help feeling marginally disappointed when Sakura stood and said, "I'm okay."

"I'm fine," Hidan mumbled, when he realized that everyone was waiting for him to say something. He got to his feet, careful to avoid the broken glass that now littered the floor. Maybe breaking the snow globes hadn't been such a good idea, since the sight of blood made him kind of crazy. His gaze involuntarily flicked to the cut on Sakura's leg.

Hinata and the secretary discreetly left the office as Kurenai began to lecture Hidan and Sakura.

"You should be more careful. School isn't a place for horseplay. I ought to give you two detention…" Kurenai noted the horror-stricken look on Sakura's face. She felt sorry for Sakura, who was obviously doing the best she could with what she had to work with. "But I'll let it slide this time."

"Thank you, Kurenai-sensei," Sakura said, relieved.

"You're welcome, Sakura," said Kurenai, leaving the office.

Hidan and Sakura stared at each other.

"I think we're done for today," Sakura said, breaking the awkward silence.

She turned to leave, but Hidan grabbed her wrist.

"Wait a minute, Sakura. You're bleeding." Hidan knelt beside Sakura and took a handful of tissues from the tissue box that had fallen off the desk. He pressed the wad of tissues to the gash under her knee, dabbing at the wound till the blood began to clot. Sakura relaxed a bit when she realized that he was only trying to help. His touch was unexpectedly gentle.

"Um, thanks."

"I'm not done yet," Hidan said, giving in to temptation and licking the last of the blood from the wound. By Jashin, her blood tasted _wonderful_.

"_Thank you_," Sakura said firmly, her tone stating _please stop now_. His tongue raised goosebumps on her skin. She told herself that it felt weird and kind of disgusting, ignoring the simultaneous thrill of pleasure that shot up her spine.

"Don't mention it," Hidan replied, getting to his feet. He gave her a grin that set off alarm bells in the back of her mind. "By the way…"

"What?" she asked suspiciously.

"You felt _damn_ good on top of me. If ever you decide to drop the 'good girl' act, I'm down for a fuck anytime."

The murderous impulse grew inside of her at an uncontrollable rate. It flowed from her brain to her heart, then outward though her fist, which slammed into his face with a satisfying crunch.

OOOOOOO

Review, please. Oh, and if you like this story, tell your friends to read it! Don't let Hidan break your snow globes xP!


	3. Session One II

Thank you thormac, violentleelee, empressofevilbunnies, geniuslyunique, bulla49, ohmykira and sasukekiralover for being my first reviewers. If you like this story, please help me reach my goal of 100 reviews before 20,000 words posted! If I do not get enough reviews, I might discontinue it before I get to the good part. **I have a beta reader now, but if you want to give me a second opinion, please pm me.**

**Important: **Shizune is now the school nurse and the third guidance councilor's name has been changed to Misaki. The numbering scheme of the chapters has been changed so that events that take place immediately after one another are part of the same "session."

**Another A/N: **By the way, Sakura's fanfic is supposed to be cliché. I'm going to have other characters make fun of it in the next chapter. I am hoping to portray her growth as a writer as she goes through the experiences of the story. Hopefully, I will also grow as a writer while writing this fanfic ^^.

OOOOOOO

**Session One**

**(Part II)**

"_Welcome to the dark side, sweetheart" – Hidan._

Hidan gently probed the bruise and let out a low whistle.

"_Fuck_," he said, impressed.

Meanwhile, Sakura stared down at her fist as if she couldn't believe what it had done. She wasn't normally a violent person. In fact, she had never hit anyone in her entire life.

Kurenai poked her head into the office for the second time.

"Kurenai-sensei, Sakura hit me," Hidan drawled.

Kurenai found this very hard to believe, but the blood on Sakura's knuckles and the bruise rapidly blossoming across Hidan's cheek attested to the truth of his words.

"Detention, Sakura."

Sakura's eyes widened.

Fortunately, Hinata came to her defense.

"Ano, Kurenai-sensei, she was provoked. Hidan-san was er- propositioning her."

Hidan shot Hinata a dirty look. She returned his gaze without flinching, which surprised him a little. Perhaps she was tougher than he thought.

Kurenai sighed. "Hidan, go with Sakura to detention. It's in Room 131."

After Kurenai wrote them a pass, Hidan and Sakura headed toward detention. Hidan led the way, since Sakura had never been there before. _And probably never would have been, if not for that jerk._

When they reached Room 131, Hidan held the door open for Sakura like a gentleman.

"Ladies first."

Sakura didn't like it, but she could hardly push him in ahead of her. Hidan cocked his head to one side as she entered, admiring her firm, shapely ass. She whipped around and gave him a death glare. Hidan chuckled and entered after her.

The room was small, sparsely furnished, and practically unoccupied. Two Goths sat in the back of the room seemingly bored out of their minds, a pale, blue-haired girl in the front row folded a piece of notebook paper into an origami figurine, and a mean-looking dude in the middle of the room shot them a menacing glare before continuing to fiddle with something inside his desk. Sakura gulped and looked away. Hidan caught the eye of origami-girl and she nodded in recognition.

Anko-sensei occupied the desk at the front of the room. Sakura groaned inwardly when she saw her sadistic Health teacher. _Great. Just great_.

Hidan walked up to the desk and handed their pass to Anko. Anko crumpled up the pass without looking at it and aimed for the trashcan at the other side of the room. She scowled when it landed a few inches short of her goal.

"Hello Hidan and…" Anko looked at Sakura blankly. "Who are you, again?"

Sakura was a bit irritated that Anko couldn't remember her name, since they'd just had Health class together. "Haruno Sakura."

"All right. Take a seat," Anko said, marking their names on the attendance sheet.

Before Hidan and Sakura could comply, they heard the characteristic sound of a body being slammed against a locker. A series of punches and kicks followed. Sakura winced, feeling bad for the person on the receiving end of the beating.

Anko glared at her detainees.

"Move a muscle and you'll be out of this school faster than you can say 'minimum wage,'" she threatened, before heading out into the hall to break up the fight.

Sakura sank into her seat as if her legs could no longer support her. "I can't believe it," she said incredulously. "I've never gotten a detention before."

Hidan smirked as he settled into the desk next to her, placing his boots atop the polished wood, as was his custom. "Welcome to the dark side, sweetheart."

Sakura glowered at him. "This is all _your_ fault. If it wasn't for you, my perfect record would still be intact."

"Nobody forced you to hit me," Hidan pointed out. "Aren't you Jesus freaks supposed to turn the other cheek or something?"

Sakura was speechless with rage. Her mouth opened and closed without a sound, which Hidan found rather amusing.

"How _dare _you?" she finally spluttered. "What gives you the right to disrespect my religion?"

Hidan's boots hit the floor with a clunk and his chair made an unpleasant scraping noise as he stood. He put his hands on Sakura's desk and leaned closer to her until their faces were only a few inches apart.

"You fucking disrespected _my religion_ first."

Sakura looked away. She didn't like it when he invaded her personal space. It made her feel uncomfortable. "Yeah, whatever. I still think you made it up."

Hidan's eyes narrowed.

"Did not."

"Did too."

"Did _not_."

"Did _too_."

Hidan finally straightened, causing Sakura to breathe a silent sigh of relief. "This is pointless. Go on the fucking Internet and look it up."

"Yes, because everything on the Internet is true," Sakura said scathingly, Biblical injunctions against insults long forgotten.

Hidan opened his mouth to reply, but was interrupted by Anko's reentry.

She looked over at the two of them and said, "Hidan, Sakura. This is a _silent_ study space. Flirt on your own time."

Sakura blushed. "That's- I mean, we weren't…"

Anko raised an eyebrow. "You weren't…what?"

"We weren't _flirting_," Sakura said through clenched teeth, turning even redder as the two Goths snickered.

Hidan smirked, enjoying the hell out of her embarrassment.

"Hidan, take a seat. And sit _properly_ this time. Both feet on the floor."

"Yes, ma'am."

Hidan gave Anko a mock salute and did as he was told.

OOOOOOO

After the admittedly rocky start, detention wasn't nearly the ordeal Sakura had thought it would be. She learned that Anko didn't particularly care what they were doing, as long as they were quiet. It was actually an improvement over being in class, where she was expected to volunteer answers and work on assignments. Instead of finishing her homework, Sakura took out a notebook and continued working on her HitsuHina fic "Melting Icicle."

_Chapter Two- The Shorty and The Cutie_

_Hitsugaya's POV:_

_His heart was an icicle. In order to become the youngest captain in over a century, Hitsugaya-taicho had had to give up many things, including love. So, how was it that the bronze-eyed lieutenant made him feel things he hadn't known he was capable of feeling?_

Hidan leaned closer to her, trying to read what she was writing.

Sakura scowled at him and covered her story with her hand. Knowing Hidan, he would probably make fun of it.

_He remembered back to when they were children. They had spent many carefree days eating watermelons under the strangely bright Soul Society sun. She had ruffled his hair and called him "Shiro-chan." God, how he_ hated_ that nickname. _

Sakura chewed on her pencil absentmindedly, wondering what to write next. She didn't notice that Hidan had written the words "What the fuck is _Melting Icicle_?" on a piece of paper inside his desk.

_But now, he would be happy if she called him anything. It would mean she was looking at _him_, instead of at Aizen. Hitsugaya didn't trust the older shinigami. Every time their gazes met, it sent a shiver down his spine. _

Hidan folded the note into a paper airplane and sent it over to Konan when Anko wasn't looking. She caught it and raised her eyebrows inquiringly. He put a finger to his lips and jerked his head toward Sakura, who was staring down at her notebook, immersed in the creative process.

_She was standing there, perhaps a meter in front of him, staring off into space. He snuck up behind her and tapped her on the shoulder. She jumped and "kyaa"-ed. _

"_H-H-Hitsugaya-kun?" _

_The chibi was miffed._

"_Taichou. It's Hitsugaya-taicho," he scolded crossly._

Konan unfolded the paper airplane and read Hidan's message. It seemed such a waste to mar a clean, fresh sheet of paper with vulgar words. But, unlike certain Akatsuki members, Konan wasn't one to force her artistic preferences upon others. She turned the piece of paper over and wrote her reply. _I'll look it up later._

Konan refolded the paper into a more aerodynamically viable shape and flew it back to Hidan. Hidan read her reply and scowled. Konan sighed. What did he expect? Even though she was Pain's research assistant, she hardly knew everything.

Meanwhile, Sakura was on a roll. The plot hares were racing through her head so fast she barely had time to capture them on paper.

"_What are you doing here, Hitsugaya-taicho?" Hinamori inquired inquisitively._

_The handsome captain moved closer._

"_I came to warn you," Hitsugaya said in a low voice. "Be careful of-"_

_At that very moment, Matsumoto came barreling around the corner._

_She couldn't stop in time, and bumped into Hitsugaya, sending him crashing down on top of Hinamori, and, even worse, causing an accidental kiss. _

Sakura started guiltily at the harsh bleep of the bell. She had a ton of homework, and she hadn't done a thing all period. She'd probably have to pull an all-nighter to finish, for the first time in, well, ever. On top of that, she'd actually struck a classmate! _And_ been sent to detention. Her parents would receive a disciplinary letter in the mail. They would be so disappointed in her.

_What's come over me?_ she thought miserably. _Am I becoming…bad?_

OOOOOOO

Naruto slumped against the lockers, trying not to feel sorry for himself.

It had gone as it always went. A group of them jumped him in the hallway after he'd left class to get something from his locker. He'd inflicted as much damage as he could before they'd grabbed him from behind and proceeded to pound the shit out of him.

Naruto supposed he should be glad that Anko-sensei had interrupted the beating and hauled the bastards off to the principal's office. He liked Anko. She didn't look at him like the other teachers did, as if he was a problem child they'd rather not bother with. But, he didn't want her to think he was a wuss. It'd been obvious that was exactly what she thought when she looked him in the eye and told him to fight back.

Couldn't she tell that was what he'd been _trying _to do?

Naruto slowly got to his feet and dragged himself to the nurse's office. He and Nurse Shizune were very well acquainted by now. He knew she felt sorry for him, but was at a loss as to how to stop the bullying. That was fine with him, since he didn't want her to interfere.

Naruto entered the office and wrote his name on the sign-in sheet. Shizune handed him the icepack without a word. Naruto sat on the nearest cot and gingerly stripped off his shirt. He winced as he touched the icepack to a tender bruise on his shoulder.

Someone knocked on the door. Shizune shot Naruto a worried look, but said,

"Come in."

Sasuke strode into the office, carrying a bundle of papers.

"Here are the Health Histories for the Student Council field trip next Tuesday," he said, handing the papers to Shizune.

"Thank you, Sasuke-kun."

Sasuke was about to leave when he saw Naruto. He frowned when he noticed that the blonde boy's chest was covered with colorful bruises.

Naruto glanced up at Sasuke and mistook his concerned expression for an unfriendly one. He scowled. "What're you looking at, teme?"

Sasuke turned on his heel and walked away.

"Usuratonkachi."


	4. Session Two

***IMPORTANT* **Sorry for the 2.5 month hiatus! I've been researching and writing my new story _Kokoro no Hana _(ItaSaku, consider reading if you haven't already)…among other things xD. Don't worry, updating this story is still high on my priority list- I love it just as much as some of you have said you do ^^. I might have to go three, even four months without updating, but I won't forget about it.

Thanks to EmpressofEvilBunnies for story development help (I'm using your suggestions in a later chapter), and thanks to everyone who reviewed, favorited, or alerted this story.

OOOOOOO

**Session Two**

"_I feel real fucking special" – Hidan._

It was only 7:45 a.m., but Sakura already knew it was going to be a terrible day. She'd been so worried about how she was going to explain away the first blemish on her once spotless disciplinary record that she'd forgotten to put her Honors English essay in her schoolbag. She'd have to take a ten point deduction for lateness, even though she'd stayed up most of the night to finish it on time.

_And if I don't manage to get this damn locker open in the next five minutes, I'm going to be late for Biology as well,_ she thought as she fumbled with the lock. Sakura didn't usually have trouble opening her locker, but today even the simplest of tasks was proving a monumental challenge for her sleep-deprived brain.

Just as her locker finally clicked open, Sakura heard someone slam her locker shut with a gusty sigh. She looked up to see that the locker slammer was none other than Kin Tsuchi, one of Ino's lackeys. Kin was joined by her friend Tenten and the queen bee herself. Snatches of their conversation reached Sakura's ears as she gathered up her textbooks. They seemed to be discussing their grades, which was odd since none of them were particularly studious. Ino herself seemed to be content with Bs, just high enough to maintain her position as Vice President of the Student Council. Sakura knew that Ino didn't really care about the Student Council, but she'd applied for the office because it would give her an excellent opportunity to get closer to Sasuke. When Sakura had run against Ino, she'd had several good ideas about how to improve the school's student programs. She'd been naive enough to think that the woman with the best platform would prevail, and her loss had opened her eyes to the realities of politics. The pretty and the popular win every time.

Against her better judgment, Sakura found herself straining to make out what the popular girls were saying.

"-was failing math, so the asshole made me join the Mathletes," Kin complained.

Ino took out her compact and rolled her eyes as she began applying lipstick. "Seriously? That's so lame."

"I know, right? What am I going to do? I don't speak Geek."

"Ask Sakura, maybe she can help you out with that," Tenten said suddenly, flipping her long, silky brown hair over her shoulder.

Ino and Kin turned to stare at her and Sakura blushed.

Ino's eyes narrowed. "Didn't your mother ever tell you that it's rude to eavesdrop on other people's conversations?"

"I- I didn't mean…"

"Whatever, loser. Let's go," Ino said, addressing Kin and Tenten.

Sakura watched Ino walk away, wishing things had turned out differently. She had never wanted to cause a rift between them. Of course, it was much too late to do anything about it now. She'd gone one way and Ino had gone another.

OOOOOOO

The warning bell rang, startling Sakura out of her reverie and causing her to scurry down the hall to Biology. Focusing on the lesson was unusually difficult while simultaneously trying to fight a losing battle with her eyelids. It wasn't long before she felt Ayame-sensei's cool hands shaking her awake. Fortunately, she believed Sakura when she said she was sick and allowed her to go to the nurse's office.

Shizune knew better. After all, she had to deal with dozens of students who stayed awake into the wee hours of the morning and then tried to catch up on sleep during class. But since it was the first time Sakura had come to the nurse's office for such a reason, Shizune decided to let her sleep through the rest of the period.

Sakura woke at the sound of the second period bell. She was still tired, of course, but she thought she could make it through the rest of the day without falling asleep again. She signed out of the nurse's office, and Shizune wrote her a pass to phys ed. Sakura took the pass even though she knew it wasn't necessary, since Kakashi-sensei was always late. The other students enjoyed the chance to hang out and chat for the first ten minutes of every class, but Sakura thought his tardiness was unprofessional and she wondered why he wasn't fired.

Sakura changed in a daze and entered the gymnasium. A few students milled about, hanging out and waiting for their instructor. Sakura wandered past the bleachers toward the doors leading outside. One of them was propped open to let in a little fresh air. A cool breeze drifted over Sakura's face, waking her up more effectively than a hundred lectures. It was only late September, but she could already detect a chill in the air.

"Damn, you have a nice ass."

Sakura whirled around and lashed out with her fist.

Hidan stepped to the side. He may get off on pain, but he liked _himself _to be the one inflicting the injury.

"Is this how you say 'hello' to everyone?" he asked.

"Only to you."

"Thanks," Hidan said sarcastically. "I feel real fucking special."

Sakura scowled at him. "Since when are you in this class?"

"Since I told my previous instructor that she was a frigid bitch who needed to get laid," Hidan replied, leaning casually against the bleachers.

Sakura rolled her eyes.

"What? I was trying to be helpful," said Hidan.

"You think everyone needs to get laid," said Sakura.

"And I'm usually right. You, for example, could really use a good fuck, and I'd be more than happy to help you out with that."

"Mmhmm," said Sakura. Sasuke had just entered the gym. Sakura couldn't help but notice how his T-shirt hugged his muscular chest and how his tight shorts accentuated his sexy butt. Sasuke began jogging around the outside of the gym, surprising Sakura with the athleticism of his movements. She knew Sasuke was Student Council President, church Youth Group Leader, and on his way to be class Valedictorian, so she had always assumed he didn't have time for things like sports.

"Sakura, are you even fucking listening to me?"

"What did you say?" Sakura asked, still looking at Sasuke.

Hidan laughed. "Oh, I see. You're busy eye fucking the prez."

"What are you talking about?"

Hidan grinned. She did a decent job of sounding nonchalant, but her blush gave her away at the last second.

"It's damn obvious you want to screw him."

Sakura tore her gaze away from Sasuke in order to give Hidan a reproachful look.

"I do_ not_ want to screw- er… sleep with Sasuke."

"Yes, you do," Hidan said knowingly.

"No, I don't."

"Yes, you do."

"_No I don't!_" Sakura hissed.

"Hey, Sasuke," Hidan said, addressing a person standing behind her. "We were just talking about you."

Sakura's eyes widened. Her cheeks quickly cycled through several shades of red as she turned around and met his clear black eyes.

"Hn."

Hidan smirked. The expression on Sakura's face was priceless.

"Yeah. Sakura wants to ask you-"

"For homework help!"

Sasuke looked at her suspiciously. "The only other class we have together is Health, and we don't have Health homework..."

Suddenly, Sakura saw the way out.

"_He's _my Health homework, remember?" she said, jerking her head at Hidan. "How's it been going with Naruto? This idiot doesn't listen to anything I say."

Sasuke looked away. "It's going fine," he muttered.

Sakura had only a moment to ponder Sasuke's strange reaction before Hidan interrupted them.

"Why don't I leave you two lovebirds alone, then?"

"I wish you would," said Sakura.

An odd emotion flickered across Hidan's face, anger mixed with… something else, something she couldn't name.

"Fine."

He turned abruptly and walked away.

Sakura looked toward Sasuke to see what he made of Hidan's behavior, but his face was once again a calm, emotionless mask.

Kakashi-sensei appeared in the doorway and clapped his hands together.

"Listen up, everyone, it's time to get started. Today we're going to-"

"Why were you late?" Sakura interrupted him. "No, why are you always late? It's inconsiderate and unprofessional, and frankly, I don't see why you haven't been fired."

The rest of the class stared at her. Half the students were incredulous because they had never heard Sakura Haruno talk back to a teacher before, and the other half was irate. They didn't want Sakura to get Kakashi fired because they were afraid they would lose their precious ten minutes of freedom before phys ed. Those who were hoping for a confrontation were disappointed. Kakashi simply smiled (or at least everyone thought he was smiling… it was hard to tell due to the creepy facemask he wore) and said,

"I got lost along the road of life."

OOOOOOO

As Sakura entered the guidance office, she pondered Kakashi's answer. She thought she might like to get lost along the road of life sometime, but unfortunately, she knew exactly where life was going to take her. She would graduate high school, go to college, find a career, get married, and live in the suburbs like her parents. Her only choice seemed to be between having one, two, or three children, and between having either a dog or a cat to occupy her "happy" home. Life had never seemed so banal, or so disappointing.

Frowning, Sakura withdrew her notebook. She had never been so grateful for her excursions into the world of fantasy. In her fanfictions, anything could happen. The adventures she created for Hinamori were wild at wonderful. Hinamori might feel hurt and depressed at times, but at least she never felt trapped.

Sakura checked the time on her cell phone. Hidan was late. That was good. If he was still angry with her, perhaps he wouldn't show up at all. That would be even better. Maybe Hinata had forgetten to tell him that Kurenai had put them in Misaki-sensei's office instead of Jiraiya's, lest they break even more snow globes.

Sakura looked up as the door opened.

Hidan grinned. "Sorry to tear you away from Hitsugaya and Hinamori."

"What?"

"I read your fanfic, _Saku-chan_."

His sarcasm made her wince.

"Sorry to break it to you, but your story kind of sucks," said Hidan.

She drew herself up to her full height in righteous indignation.

"What would you know? I got a ton of nice reviews, so there."

She wasn't sure if five counted as "a ton," but at least she hadn't gotten any scalds.

"It's not very detailed, your dialogue is flat, your plot is cliché, and it seems sort of rushed," said Hidan.

"Oh, and you could do better?"

"Uh, yeah."

Sakura crossed her arms over her chest. "Prove it."

"No."

She sighed. "You're all talk, as usual."

Hidan reached for her notebook, grabbed the pencil right out of her hand, and started scribbling something. A few minutes later, he handed the notebook back to her. She looked down at what he had written. His handwriting was bold and slanted and all over the place. It fit him well, she thought.

He had revised the scene she had written last Monday in study hall, adding more from Hitsugaya's point of view.

OOOOOOO

_His heart was an icicle. __**He had devoted himself wholly to his work, channeling his emotions into his zanpaktou. His body and mind were nothing more than weapons to be used in the service of his organization. He'd give his life for Soul Society, but he didn't give a damn about anything (or anyone) else. **_

_**Until he met her.**_

_**She drove him crazy sometimes. She could be so damned condescending, always ruffling his hair and calling him 'Shiro-chan,' never mind that he was actually older than her.**_

_**But there was something about her… She had this indescribable air of warmth and friendliness that put him at ease. He could talk with her as he talked with no one else. Sometimes, she even listened. **_

_**He had decided to make her his, and he'd be damned if he'd let that bastard get in his way. **_

OOOOOOO

When she finished reading, Sakura looked up at Hidan, impressed.

"This is… really good."

Hidan rolled his eyes.

"Well, yeah. I'm not fucking illiterate."

Sakura frowned, choosing to ignore the potential jab at her writing. She may not be the next J.K. Rowling, but she certainly wasn't illiterate.

"If you can write this well, why are you failing English class?"

"Don't like to write."

"Well, sometimes mature adults have to do things they don't like to do," Sakura gritted out, losing her temper.

Hidan stared at her in disbelief. She sounded so fucking smug and superior, it was all he could do not to slap her across the face.

"What the fuck would you know about being a 'mature adult'? Do you have a job?"

"Not exactly…"

"Do you pay your rent?"

"No, but-"

"Do you pay your bills?"

"No."

"Then what the hell gives you the right to lecture me about being a 'mature adult'? Fuck, Sakura, I'm more of a 'mature adult' than you are."

"I do my schoolwork," Sakura said calmly. "You don't. If you passed high school, you could get a better job. You could make more money. You must know that. You're not an idiot."

For once, Hidan did not respond.

Sakura leaned forward and searched his violet eyes for traces of whatever might be going on inside that mysterious brain of his.

"Help me out here, Hidan. What can I do to make you try?"

"I can think of a couple things," Hidan said, giving her body a quick scan that brought heat to her face. He licked his lips, no doubt contemplating all the dirty things he'd like to do to her.

It was clear what she had to do next.

"If you get an A on your pre-calculus exam, I'll give you a kiss."

Hidan raised an eyebrow. "One kiss? What makes you think I'd be satisfied with that?"

"Fine," she snapped. "I-I'll make out with you."

"Are you serious?"

"Yes, but only for an A," she said quickly. "Nothing less."

She was glad she'd thought to raise the bar so high. She was learning that Hidan was far from stupid, and that it'd be simple for him to pass if he bothered to study. But an A? Impossible. Sometimes even she had difficulty getting As in precalc.

Hidan leaned closer and closer to her, until their noses were nearly touching.

"All right," he said finally. "I'll get an A on the test, but you damn well better live up to your end of the deal."

Sakura didn't say anything. Beads of sweat formed on her skin. Her heart was beating so loudly she was surprised he hadn't remarked on the sound.

_What if he knows something I don't? Maybe he's secretly a calculus genius._

The idea was absurd. Still, she couldn't possibly let Hidan touch her that way, not after saving herself for Sasuke for years.

Hidan shot her a cocky smirk.

"Don't forget to brush your teeth."

Sakura took a deep breath.

_Don't let him intimidate you_, she reprimanded herself._ There's absolutely no way he'll score that high. This is just to motivate him to study._

When she spoke, her voice was firm.

"Try your best. I'll see you next week."

Hidan winked at her.

"See ya."

The moment he left, Sakura released a breath she hadn't been aware she'd been holding.

_Oh God, what have I gotten myself into?_

OOOOOOO

**A/N:** If anyone is confused about whether this is supposed to be a crossover, it isn't, there's just a ton of references to other anime (most noticeably Bleach). Anyway, I know you are all dying to know what happens next, so I'll try to hurry with the next chapter. Please review!


	5. Session Three I

**A/N:** Just to clarify, each section of the story subdivided by OOOOOOO is not necessarily written from one character's point of view only. I use third person omniscient so that I can delve into the mind of any character as needed. I have a short attention span in writing as in life, and I have difficulty following one character's thoughts for an extended period of time without letting another character add his or her two cents in. Also, thanks for 50 reviews =)!

OOOOOOO

**Session Three**

**(Part I)**

"_Wouldn't want anyone to overhear, now would we?"- Hidan._

Hidan growled in frustration as he ransacked his spacious apartment for his damned pre-calculus textbook. He couldn't believe it was already so fucking cold! He'd chosen to rent the top floor of the old house because it gave him sole access to the attic, a space that was perfect for his Jashinist rituals. Yet, he often wished he'd picked a place a quarter of the size with a functional heating system. He stalked over to his closet and picked a sweater up off the floor, uncovering the very book he was searching for.

_How the fuck did it get there?_

He grabbed the textbook and plopped down on his couch, turning to a set of practice problems he was supposed to have done for homework two or three weeks ago. He could probably take an hour to study before the rest of the Akatsuki started wondering where the fuck he was. He hoped it would be enough. He was breaking his promise, but he didn't think Pain would care. Hell, he didn't even have to know.

OOOOOOO

It hadn't been as bad as Sakura had thought it would be. In fact, she hadn't been punished at all. Her mother had come in with the mail. Sakura saw the letter. She'd immediately started apologizing, so incoherently her mother wasn't sure what she had done wrong. Once Mrs. Haruno understood the situation, she showed more compassion than her daughter would have believed possible. Guilt-ridden, Sakura believed she deserved whatever punishment her parents had in store for her, but her mother only said,

"Oh, honey. Of course it's not good to get detention, but I think you've punished yourself enough."

"What are you going to tell dad?"

"Let's keep this a secret from your father."

Sakura threw her arms around her mother, and Mrs. Haruno returned the hug. Afterwards, Sakura felt closer to her mother than she had in a very long time. It was a nice feeling.

_Perhaps I should hug people more often_, she thought.

That was why, a few days later, Sakura embraced Hinata outside the guidance office.

Hinata was feeling a little down. She'd just come from History class, where they'd picked partners for the midterm project. Most of the class paired up immediately, but everyone refused to work with Naruto. Hinata'd wanted to say she would be his partner, but, as usual, words failed her. Naruto gave his usual goofy smile, but Hinata knew he was hurt that his classmates avoided him. Finally, Sasuke shut down several fangirls swarming his desk and said,

"I'll work with the dobe."

Hinata wished she had a tenth of Sasuke's confidence. She didn't mind working with Kiba, but she could've had a chance to tell Naruto her feelings. What those feelings were, Hinata herself couldn't say for sure.

She was still pondering it when Sakura came up to her and gave her a hug. Sakura's body was warm and soft, and she smelled like cherries. Their chests fit together like interlocking pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. All the blood in Hinata's body rushed to her face at the bizarre thought.

"S-S-Sakura-chan? W-What are you doing?" she asked.

"Sorry. You looked like you needed a hug. I won't do it again if it makes you feel uncomfortable."

Hinata shook her head quickly.

"It's fine. Thanks for being such a good friend."

She smiled at Sakura, glad she'd managed not to stutter.

"No problem. Would you like to tell me what's wrong?"

"It's nothing."

"Okay, then. I'm going to see Hidan. See you later, Hinata."

OOOOOOO

Sakura opened the door and walked into Misaki-sensei's office. To her surprise, Hidan was already there. He was slumped in the "client" chair, playing with a pocketknife. His eyes were closed and he was muttering something under his breath. Sakura wondered if it was a curse.

"Hello, Hidan."

Hidan dropped the knife into his pocket. He slowly and deliberately brought each boot to rest on top of the desk with a dull thud, his violent violet eyes daring her to comment.

She was equal to the challenge, however.

"How have you been doing lately?" she asked innocently.

His expression turned a shade less hostile.

"Okay, I guess. You?"

His left foot slid off the desk and he brought his right foot to join it on the ground, although the movement seemed somewhat grudging.

Sakura pressed her lips together to hide her smile. Apparently, she'd been correct in her assumption that the best way to deal with his foul mood was to ignore it altogether.

"I'm fine, thank you."

She hesitated. She knew she had to get down to business, but that pesky sensitive side of hers was reluctant to mention anything that had to do with school. His precalc exam had been last Tuesday, which meant his teacher would have had more than enough time to grade the tests and hand them back. She suspected he was in a terrible mood because he lost their bet. She wanted to feel sorry for him, but she felt only relief.

"Have you brought your grades up?"

"Some."

"Which ones?"

"Hold on."

Hidan stood and went to the door.

"Wouldn't want anyone to overhear, now would we?" he said, waggling his eyebrows.

Sakura rolled her eyes at his theatrics. Kurenai had emphasized the need for discretion because she was the head of the peer-counseling program, and her counselors' behavior therefore reflected upon her leadership. However, Hidan's prior behavior indicated that he couldn't care less about confidentiality. He was doing this to be difficult, not because he really cared if anyone else knew his grades.

Hidan turned the lock, scowling when he didn't hear a click.

"What the hell? They disabled the fucking lock!"

"Gee, I wonder why," Sakura said sarcastically. "I blame you for that, by the way."

Hidan was about to make an angry retort, but then he saw the light in her eyes and realized she was teasing him. He grinned, glad he'd finally gotten her to loosen up a little.

"There's not even anything to break in this office," he said, looking around.

"I think Misaki-sensei took all her stuff, since she said she was going to change jobs."

Hidan shrugged.

"Whatever. Let's talk about something else."

"What do you want to talk about?" Sakura asked.

"Anything but school. How's your story coming?"

"Better, now, thanks. Except I still haven't been able to find an Alpha reader."

"I'll be your Alpha," Hidan offered.

"Hmm… really?"

Sakura knew something was up. Why was he acting so agreeable all of a sudden?

"Sure."

Actually, his behavior wasn't _that_ strange. He was probably just relieved that she'd gone along with his request not to talk about schoolwork.

"How much Bleach have you read?"

"Don't read the manga. I stopped watching the anime during that long ass filler arc they did after Ichigo and them went to Hueco Mundo to bail out Orihime."

They chatted about Bleach for a while before Sakura reluctantly decided to return to the subject they were supposed to be discussing.

"So, you never did tell me which grades you improved."

"History, Biology … Pre-calculus."

He scrutinized her facial expression after he came out with the last item on his list, curious to see how she would react.

Sakura froze. She felt as though something had been knocked loose inside of her, like a china plate that'd fallen to the ground and shattered during an earthquake.

"That's… good," she managed.

"Speaking of precalc, I've got something to show you," Hidan said casually, reaching into his schoolbag and withdrawing a piece of paper.

He placed the paper on the desk between them. The first thing Sakura read was "Pre Calculus Exam One," then Hidan's name, written in his brash, hurried hand, then…

Her mouth went dry when she saw the number that was written below the heading in bright red ink.

95.

_Impossible! There was absolutely _no_ way he could have scored a 95 on that test!_

Hidan smirked. The satisfaction of watching her eyes bug out of her head like that was a reward in and of itself. Of course, it wasn't nearly enough. "Looks like I win our little bet. Time for you to pay up."

"I- I don't know what you're talking about."

Yeah, right. There was no way in hell he'd let her talk her way out of this.

"You know exactly what I'm talking about."

"How do I know you didn't cheat on the test?" Sakura asked, taking a step backwards.

Hidan took a step forward. "I don't need to cheat to get what I want. The only cheat here is you."

"I'm not!"

"Oh really? Then why are you trying to weasel out of your end of the deal? You're fucking pathetic, Sakura."

Sakura winced. He had a point.

She glanced discreetly at the clock. Ten minutes until the next period. Her only hope was to keep him talking until the bell.

"If you didn't cheat, how did you do it?"

Hidan knew what she was doing, but he decided to oblige her anyway.

"I sat through that class for three whole years. Even an idiot could learn the material by that point."

"Oh," she said.

Sakura tried to take another step backwards, but her back hit the wall.

Hidan chuckled. He had her trapped, in more ways than one.

"As much as I like talking with you, Sakura, I can think of other things I'd rather be doing with that mouth of yours."

"What if someone comes in?" Sakura asked, glancing at the door.

Hidan realized that she was probably worried about a specific "someone" getting the wrong idea. The knowledge was like a knife to the gut.

"They won't. If they do, you can always push me away and pretend you didn't want it," he said calmly.

"I_ don't_ want it."

"Sure you don't."

His attitude really pissed her off.

"Let's get something straight," she said angrily, poking him in the chest to emphasize her point. "I don't love you. I don't even like you. I'm just keeping up my end of the bargain."

She thought she saw a brief spasm of pain flicker across his face, but it was gone before she could say for sure.

"Yeah, well, it's better than nothing," he said, putting his hands on her hips and pulling her close. "Get going."

Sakura gulped. She slowly lifted her head and pressed her mouth to his. His mouth was warm and rough, like sandpaper. Sakura let her eyes drift closed and imagined she was kissing Sasuke.

Sakura's kisses failed to satisfy Hidan. She kissed him mechanically, her disgust evident. Her mouth was warm and soft, but her body was stiff as a board under his palms. Finally, he pushed her away.

"'Fraid that ain't good enough, sweetheart. You have to use your tongue."

"That's disgusting!" Sakura hissed.

"No, that's standard," Hidan corrected. "Haven't you ever made out with anyone before?"

Her light blush was answer enough.

"Of course you haven't," Hidan answered himself, taking a hand from her hip in favor of soothing that soft, pink flush. "Don't worry, babe, I'll teach you everything you need to know."

Sakura groaned inwardly. That's what she was afraid of.

Hidan bent down until his forehead touched hers.

"I'm going to kiss you now," he murmured. "When I open my mouth, I want you to stick your tongue inside and move it around a little. Can you do that?"

Sakura nodded.

Hidan tilted her chin upward and claimed her mouth with his. After a few closed-lipped kisses, Hidan opened his mouth to allow her entrance.

Sakura obediently licked along his teeth and gums, hearing him hum approvingly at her tentative explorations. He tasted like tobacco and alcohol and chewing gum and something else she couldn't quite put her finger on. It was a very un-Sasuke-ish taste. Sakura regretted that she could no longer pretend she was kissing the one person she wanted to kiss more than anything in the world.

Thoughts of Sasuke were driven from her head as Hidan wrapped his tongue around hers and began to suck it deeper down his throat. Sakura gave a soft moan of surprise and pleasure.

Hidan pulled back a bit and shot Sakura a cocky smirk.

"Well, now. I think someone's enjoying this a little more than she's willing to let on."

Sakura turned scarlet. She had never felt so humiliated. How could her body betray her like that?

Hidan nuzzled her neck.

"Don't be embarrassed, baby. I want you to want me."

His lips closed over hers, eager to taste more of her sweet flavor. Hidan moved his hands from her hips to her lower back, deepening the kiss. Her hands knotted around the back of his neck in response, pulling him even closer. Her body was soft and pliable and wonderfully responsive. Hidan wasn't sure how it had happened, but she wasn't kissing Sasuke anymore. She was kissing _him_.

When they broke for air, Hidan moved his mouth to her neck, sucking on the soft, sweaty skin until he left a mark.

A faraway ringing noise filled Sakura's ears. She tried to suppress another moan, hating her mouth for making those stupid, involuntary little noises.

It was if she knew how much Hidan fuckingloved hearing the sounds she made as he pressed their bodies together. She was attempting to deny him pleasure, to remind him how much she didn'twant this. She wanted to make him feel like shit for "taking advantage" of her innocence, while he was simply demanding that she keep her promise. The hell with her. He would _make _her remember him. When she was pressing against Sasuke, she would always remember that he, Hidan, was the one who'd touched her first.

He growled into her mouth, biting her lip till it bled. Sakura gasped as his hands slid from the small of her back to cover her butt, grinding her hips roughly against his crotch. She knew their little make-out session had spun way out of her control when she felt his hard-on through the flimsy fabric of her skirt and panties.

The ringing noise got louder. Was that … knocking?

Someone was definitely knocking on the door.

"Sakura-san?"

The quiet voice sounded almost fearful.

"You've got to come out, Kurenai-sensei—"

"Hinata-chan, the bell's already rung. You should head to class. Hidan, Sakura, you too."

Hidan moved faster than Sakura would have thought possible, releasing her and opening the door before Kurenai could walk in on them.

"Sorry, Kurenai. You know how it is. Can't get enough of the, er-, counseling."

Kurenai looked from a satisfied Hidan to a flustered Sakura to the "A" paper lying on the desk between them.

Her eyes narrowed.

Hidan quickly grabbed his test and stuffed it in his schoolbag, brushing past Kurenai on his way out of the office.

Sakura tried to follow, but Kurenai caught her arm.

"Hold on a minute, Sakura. Is there something you'd like to tell me?"

OOOOOOO

Did I trick you? I hope so, though I doubt it xD. I promise the rest of the plot twists in this story won't be nearly this predictable. Anyway, please review if you want more HidaSaku action =D. Help me reach my goal of 100 reviews before 20,000 words posted!


	6. Session Three II

**A/N:** I am pleased to report that the rumors of my demise have been greatly exaggerated (lol). Please reread this before you go on to Session Four.

OOOOOOO

**Session Three**

**(Part II)**

Sakura's heart stopped.

Fortunately, human beings can survive for six and a half minutes without a heartbeat.* At a resting heart rate of 72 beats per minute, a total of 468 beats can be missed. At least, according to Sakura's biology teacher.

Kurenai was still waiting for her to answer.

"No, it's nothing."

Sakura desperately tried to silence her screaming hormones as she smiled at Kurenai. She hoped it looked somewhat natural.

Kurenai's cold stare held the weight of a thousand anvils.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes," said Sakura.

"All right, then." Kurenai let her go, although she didn't sound convinced. "You should go to class. You don't want to be late."

"No," said Sakura, even though she had lunch this period.

Sakura hurried to her locker to fetch her lunchbox, grateful for her miraculous escape from Kurenai. She'd lucked out this time, but she was unlikely to be so fortunate if it happened again. She'd have to be more careful when betting against Hidan from now on.

OOOOOOO

Konoha High's cafeteria was a large, whitewashed room filled with long, grey tables and hundreds of rambunctious students sitting on purple plastic stools. A set of double doors in the back led to the kitchen area and buffet line where students could get their food. Sakura always brought lunch from home. She hadn't even wanted to try the dirt cheap and unappetizing-looking food served in the cafeteria.

She carried her pink lunchbox to the far end of one of the outlying tables, trying to minimize the noise so she could study for her AP World History test while eating. She was the only one sitting at that end of the table, so the dull roar of the students functioned as background noise rather than distinct conversations that would distract from her work. She turned to the chapter on World War II and began reading about Chamberlain's tenure as Prime Minister of England while munching on an apple from her lunch.

A few minutes later, two boys set their trays down on the table across from Sakura and began to talk about sports or something… she wasn't really paying attention. One was gesturing wildly, while the other seemed more reserved. A particularly wild movement from the first boy knocked over his milk carton, spilling chocolate milk all over Sakura's textbook.

Sakura jumped up so she wouldn't get any milk on her skirt and immediately lifted the textbook to allow the milk to flow through the crease in the center.

"Sorry," said the boy.

"It's okay," said Sakura, even though it wasn't. She set the book on a clean part of the table a ways away from the spill, and took off her sweater to reveal a sleeveless white blouse underneath. She used the sweater to wipe up as much of the milk as she could, but, to her dismay, the pages were soggy and stuck together. She wouldn't be doing any more reading today, and she probably would have to pay for a new book.

She wrapped the book in her soiled sweater, and brought her lunch over to her new location. She figured she might as well eat, since she had nothing better to do. But, no sooner had she taken out her turkey sandwich than she felt someone tap her on the shoulder.

"Ano, Sakura-san…"

Sakura looked up at Hinata expectantly. Hinata pushed her fingers together and mumbled something unintelligible.

"What was that?" Sakura asked politely.

"I was w-wondering if you'd like to eat lunch with us," Hinata said, indicating a table by the vending machines. Sasuke, Naruto, Konan, and Hidan sat at the far end, talking and laughing with each other.

Sakura wouldn't have believed it if she hadn't seen it with her own eyes. She looked back up at Hinata, and it suddenly hit her.

"Did you do that?" she asked.

"Do what?" Hinata asked. She stopped poking her fingers together.

"Gather everybody together like that?"

"It w-wasn't much. I just thought it might be good to eat lunch together to get to know each other better. I know you don't like Hidan-sempai, but—"

"Hinata, I would love to eat lunch with you," Sakura said, touched by Hinata's thoughtfulness.

"Oh." Hinata looked down again, blushing with surprise and pleasure.

Sakura followed Hinata across the cafeteria, carrying her sweater-covered book in one hand and her lunchbox in the other. As they reached the table, Hidan happened to look up and catch Sakura's eye.

His gaze flicked downward and he smirked.

Sakura realized that the blouse she was wearing was the most low-cut that she owned. It actually revealed the top half of her breasts, which was why she'd been wearing a sweater over it.

Naturally, today would be the day some idiot decided to spill his milk on her textbook.

"Hey Sakura," Hidan said.

His voice was calm, but his eyes betrayed his lust.

Sakura gulped.

_Oh God. What am I going to do?_

She didn't want to hurt Hinata's feelings, but she was too embarrassed to even look at Hidan after all the things they'd done alone in that room, much less sit at the same table. She hated him for touching her that way, but she hated herself even more for actually liking what he'd done to her.

_If only it were possible to literally die of embarrassment. _

"Are you okay, Sakura-chan? Your face is all red."

That was Naruto, clueless as ever.

"I feel a little feverish," Sakura lied.

"Do you want to go to the nurse?"

"No, I think I'll be fine," Sakura said, as her traitorous feet moved closer to the table and her butt plopped down in a chair.

Naruto shrugged and continued talking to Sasuke. Sasuke, however, was looking at Sakura curiously.

_Please don't let him find out. Please don't let him find out._

"Konan and I have to get going now. Thanks for the invite though, Hinata," Hidan said, giving the shy girl a devilish wink. Hinata's resulting blushes and stutters made everyone (even Sasuke) forget about how strangely Sakura had been acting.

_Thank you, Hidan_, Sakura thought, pleased and surprised that he had bypassed an excellent opportunity to torture her. He must know that he'd crossed the line. Perhaps he had wisely decided to give her some time to cool off.

"So, I hear you've been learning karate, N-Naruto-kun," said Hinata, after she'd recovered from Hidan's teasing.

"Yup! I'm a yellow belt now, although it'll take me a while to catch up with Sasuke-teme."

"What level are you at, Sasuke-kun?" Hinata asked.

"Black belt," Sasuke replied.

Sakura was stunned. She hadn't known Sasuke had a black belt in karate! Well, that explained how he moved so well.

"That's impressive," she said. "How long have you been training?"

"Since I was nine. I wanted to be able to protect myself from-"

Sasuke cut himself off. His eyes suddenly held an unfathomable sadness, and Sakura worried she had said something wrong.

"Yeah, and guess what's the best part? The best part is that those fuckers don't bother me any more because Sasuke and me kicked their asses!" Naruto exclaimed, breaking the awkward silence.

"Sasuke and I," Sasuke corrected.

"What?"

"You meant to say 'Sasuke and I kicked their asses.' Baka."

"Whatever, grammar freak."

"Moron."

"Asshole."

"Usuratonkachi."

Sakura left the cafeteria with a smile on her face. Sasuke had claimed to get on "fine" with Naruto, but from what Sakura could see, they got along about as well as her and Hidan. Sasuke and Naruto certainly seemed to be having fun though, and she had to admit there was an element of playfulness in her own verbal banter with Hidan. She even thought they might be able to become friends, if only he stopped touching her without her consent. That was absolutely unacceptable.

OOOOOOO

It was last period study hall and Sakura felt restless. She'd gone to History after lunch, and aced the test in spite of her worries. When she'd explained what had happened to her textbook, Sekai-sensei told her to relax and not to worry about studying during lunch time. She'd even complimented Sakura on her obvious dedication to the class. Nevertheless, it'd been a very long day, and Sakura wanted to go home.

_Hinamori whimpered as Hitsugaya slammed her against the wall. He growled into the kiss, and his possessiveness frightened her. His icy wings wrapped around them both and tore at her skin like jagged pieces of shattered glass._

The final bell of the day pulled Sakura from her writer's zone. She stared at her last paragraph with the eyes of a stranger.

_Where had _that _come from?_

Sakura had never thought she would enjoy rough foreplay, but Hidan had proved her wrong. The memory of their final few minutes together excited her as much as it repelled her, and she didn't know what to do about it. The experience had even invaded her fantasies, coloring the sweet and chaste relationship between her two favorite Bleach characters.

Sakura left the classroom without realizing it, and walked through the hallways in a daze. As she approached her locker, she caught sight of a familiar shock of gravity-defying black hair. That was odd. Sasuke's locker was on the other side of the school. Why was Sasuke here, and why he was talking to _Ino_, of all people?

Sasuke made no secret of his dislike for the pushy blonde and her sycophantic ways. At lunch, he'd told them that he switched tables partly to avoid her. Yet, now, he listened attentively as she spoke, even questioning her on some points.

Ino reveled in his attention, giving him a coy smile and twirling a lock of her hair around her finger. She glanced at Sakura over Sasuke's shoulder and gave her a smug, knowing look that said, _Sasuke's mine._

Sakura kept expecting Sasuke to walk away, but every additional comment Ino made seemed to fascinate him still more. His sudden change in attitude was perplexing. Could he have been trying to hide his feelings for her?

"Yo, Sasuke," a familiar voice said from behind Sakura.

Before she had time to register what was happening, Hidan was kissing her. His mouth was hard and hot on hers as he picked up where they'd left off a few hours ago. She gasped in surprise, and he took the opportunity to shove his tongue down her throat. She could see Sasuke out of the corner of her eye, watching them.

Sakura moved her hands to Hidan's chest and pushed as hard as she could.

"What the heck?"

"Come on, Sakura-chan," Hidan said mockingly. "You know you want it."

"No, I don't!"

He reached out to grope her breasts, but she slapped his hand away.

"Stop it!"

Sasuke shot an annoyed look in Hidan's general direction. "Do you _mind_?"

"Shut the fuck up, pretty boy."

Okay, that was _it_. It was bad enough that he'd touched her body without her consent (again), but to badmouth Sasuke for standing up for her? Unforgivable.

"How dare you say that to Sasuke-kun, you fucking asshole? Sasuke is a _gentleman_, unlike you."

Hidan whistled. "Damn. Looks like Saint Sakura's got a mouth on her after all."

He caught her hand as she went to take a swing at him, leaning close enough to whisper something in her ear.

"Go for it, Sakura-chan," he said with a wink.

Sakura's anger faded into confusion as she watched him walk away. "Go for it?" Go for what? Then she remembered the bizarre comment he'd made before he attacked her. He'd called Sasuke's name, as if he was trying to get his attention. Could Hidan possibly be telling her… to go for Sasuke? That made no sense. She'd thought Hidan wanted her for himself, so why would he suddenly help her pursue Sasuke? Did he not want her anymore, now that he'd had his fun? Or, was it possible that he actually cared about her happiness?

_That's ridiculous. He did it for his own benefit, of course. He's just trying to manipulate me into thinking that he did it for me._

With that thought in mind, Sakura slumped against her locker and said,

"Ugh, I _hate_ him! He always does this to me!"

"Whatever you say, slut," Ino muttered.

Sasuke ignored her. "So tell Kurenai-sensei," he said to Sakura.

The thought repelled Sakura for some unknown reason. She felt a bit guilty, since Kurenai hadn't done anything to merit her distrust. She'd even tried to help earlier, but Sakura had pushed her away.

"I don't want to make trouble," she said. "Plus, it would be difficult to pick another community service project this late in the semester."

Sasuke nodded, conceding the point. He began to walk toward the other end of the school and Sakura followed him, even though she hadn't gotten her schoolbooks yet and she was afraid she would miss her bus.

"So, what were you and Ino talking about?" Sakura asked, striving to sound casual while her heart was threatening to leap out of her chest.

"Ino was telling me about a karate scholarship she thinks I should apply for," Sasuke replied.

Relief made Sakura weak. She still had a chance! Of course, she should have known it was something like that. Sasuke had never seemed to like Ino thatway, so why would he change his attitude now? She'd let her feelings cloud her judgment, as she was unfortunately prone to do when Sasuke was involved.

Sakura was somewhat surprised that Ino had spent time researching scholarships for Sasuke. It was an unexpectedly considerate thing for her to do. Apparently, Ino could be thoughtful when she thought it would help her get something she wanted. Still, it was a good idea. She'd probably spend several hours on FastWeb** later that night, plugging in everything she knew about Sasuke.

"That was nice of her," Sakura said.

"Hn."

Sakura took a deep breath and decided to try her luck. "We have a Health test next Monday."

Sasuke arched his eyebrow at her, as if to say, _So, what about it?_

"I was wondering if… you'd like to study with me?"

It wasn't a date, exactly, but it was a step in the right direction. Sakura waited with baited breath for Sasuke's answer.

"Which day?" he asked.

"How about Saturday?"

Sasuke reached into his schoolbag and withdrew a small, black agenda planner with a red and white fan symbol on the leather cover. He quickly flipped through the pages, then shut the book with a snap.

"Looks like I'm busy that day."

"Sunday?"

"I'm busy then, too."

"Oh," Sakura said, not sure whether he was really busy, or whether he was brushing her off.

Sasuke gave her a cryptic look and said,

"Maybe later."

OOOOOOO

*Got this info from the internet (), it might not be completely accurate xD.

** FastWeb is a popular scholarship search site, if you didn't know. You can literally spend DAYS looking through the hundreds of scholarships they recommend to you.


	7. Session Four

**A/N: I have reposted the last chapter. Unless your name is Blubelba and you are my beta, please reread it, both because I have made significant changes and to refresh your memory. **Also,thanks everyone for helping me reach my first goal of 100 reviews before 20,000 words! Yay! Cookies for all *hands out cookies*! My next goal is 500 reviews and 250 subs by the end of the story =).

OOOOOOO

**Session Four**

_"Why are you being so nice?" – Sakura._

Time passed slowly for Sakura (as time in high school is wont to do if you're not one of the popular kids), but passed nonetheless. The trees behind the school stopped producing food via photosynthesis, and Sakura watched as the last of the chlorophyll faded away. The leaves' reddened corpses crunched underfoot, but the fresh, cool breeze smelled of promise and new beginnings. It gave Sakura hope that when she finally confessed to Sasuke, he just might say "yes."

She studied him carefully in class, at lunch, and at the guidance office, but, unfortunately, he was much harder to read than a textbook. The few times she'd asked him out he'd been "busy," but she couldn't tell if he rejected her because he was _actually _busy, or because he wasn't interested. Sasuke was involved in dozens of clubs and organizations and never seemed interested in anyone, so Sakura concluded that romance wasn't a priority for him at this point in time. But, that didn't stop her from hoping that if he did take an interest in someone, it would be her.

She thought maybe she hadn't made her true intentions clear to him. After all, she'd invited him to "come to my house and study together," a proposal that didn't necessarily have romantic connotations. She had assumed that they would bond over flashcards and practice questions since high grades and a passion for learning were things they had in common, but maybe Sasuke preferred to study alone. Sakura had attempted to study with friends before and she knew how easy it was to get off topic, although it hurt that Sasuke assumed she wouldn't be able to stay on topic when she herself was sure they'd get more done together than apart.

There was nothing for it but to confess to him properly. Today. Right after peer counseling. She stared at the blank office wall that separated herself and Hidan from Sasuke and Naruto, as if it would magically disappear if she wished hard enough.

"Yo. Sakura."

Sakura looked back at Hidan just in time for the pencil eraser to strike her across the nose.

She glared at him. "Stop that."

Hidan quirked an eyebrow. "Me? _You're _the one lusting after Sasuke like a bitch in heat. I know you want to bang him, but we're supposed to be talking about grades and shit right now."

Sakura didn't like the insinuation that she was being irresponsible, and she liked his choice of wording even less.

"And you wonder why I like Sasuke more than you!" She leaned across the desk and fixed Hidan with a heated glare. "Sasuke _respects _women. He would never call me a … what you just called me."

"Yeah, right," said Hidan. "He's probably gay."

"Sasuke is _not _gay."

"Then why don't you confess to him?"

Sakura was silent for several minutes. Finally, she said, "It's none of your business."

"Then why the _fuck_…let you… to him…" Hidan began, but the rest was drowned out by the sound of the bell. Sakura knew she should ask him to repeat whatever he he'd said, but somehow, she didn't really care.

"It's time to go," Sakura said stiffly. Neither of them moved.

Hidan glared at her, and she glared right back.

"Fuck this," Hidan said at last, as he gathered up his books and walked away.

Sakura put away her folders and binders slowly and deliberately, but not _too _deliberately, trying not to be obvious about the fact that she was waiting for Hidan to leave so she could go talk to Sasuke.

When Hidan reached the door of the office, he stopped and looked back at Sakura. "You're gonna talk to him now, aren't you?"

"No," Sakura lied, poorly.

"I'm not a fucking retard," Hidan reminded her.

Sakura placed the progress report Hidan had given her in the folder at the back of her counseling binder and tucked the binder under her arm to return to Kurenai-sensei. She then looked Hidan straight in the eye and said, "Fine. I was planning to confess to Sasuke after our session today, and that's why I was a little distracted. Not that _you_ have any right to lecture _me _about getting distracted. Are you happy now?"

"Not yet, but I will be once I see him reject your ass."

Sakura was furious, but she made herself walk calmly across the guidance office and hand the binder to Kurenai with a smile on her face. Hidan followed her the whole way, grinning maliciously. As soon as Sakura stepped out of Kurenai's office, she turned to him and hissed, "Sasuke is _not _going to reject me, and, even if he does, you sure as hell are not going to watch."

"And she swears _again_! Looks like I'm rubbing off on you."

Sakura was not laughing. "Leave me alone."

Hidan crossed his arms over his chest. "Make me."

Great. Just when she'd finally made up her mind to ask Sasuke out, Hidan had to come along and spoil everything. Though Sakura would never admit it, Hidan's smug assurances that she wasn't good enough for Sasuke were destroying what little self-confidence she'd been able to build up during their session. And now he wouldn't even _leave_ to let her suffer the potential humiliation in private.

She'd have to come back later.

Or did she?

Sakura bit her lip, considering her options. She sure didn't want Hidan around if Sasuke rejected her. Her pride aside, it would only give him more foolish ideas about getting into her pants (or skirt, as it were). On the other hand, if Sasuke accepted her offer, he might be able to convince Hidan to back off with that black belt of his…

Smiling to herself, Sakura succumbed to the fantasy of (protective!) Sasuke and decided to proceed. She hadn't seen them leave, so he was probably still in Hanako-sensei's office with Naruto.

"You want to watch? Fine. You can be the first one to congratulate me when Sasuke agrees to be my boyfriend."

Sakura strode confidently into Hanako-sensei's office with Hidan on her heels, ready to shut him up once and for all.

_Hey Sasuke, I was wondering if you wanted to go out with me._

The words died on her tongue at the sight of

Sasuke.

And Naruto.

Kissing.

_Oh._

The door slammed shut with a loud 'thud,' and Sasuke and Naruto sprang apart as if they'd been burned. Naruto's face flushed fire engine red, while Sasuke's turned to ash. The way they were gaping at her would have been funny if Sakura wasn't so horrified by what she had seen.

Sasuke was the first to speak. His voice was calm, too calm, considering the situation.

"Sakura-"

Sakura interrupted him with an odd, half-hysterical giggle.

"Uh, I guess I'll be going now," she said, flashing Sasuke a smile much too large to be genuine.

Tears pricked her eyes as she backed away.

_Damnit._

"Sakura…"

Someone standing behind her was calling her name. He grabbed her wrist, but she pulled free and stormed from the office like the tornado that wrenched Dorothy from her homeland and dropped her in a cold, cruel, unfeeling place. She didn't know where she was going, and she didn't care. Anything to get away from Sasuke and the pity she didn't even think he cared enough to feel.

_Dammit._ _Dammit! Goddammit!_

Hinata gave a small squeak of surprise as Sakura pushed past her on the way out of the guidance office.

"S-Sakura-san, what's wrong?"

"I'll explain later," Hidan muttered to Hinata as he bounded into the hall after Sakura.

Sakura ran down the hall and up the stairs, not really paying attention to where she was going. She cast about for any sort of explanation that would make sense, barring the obvious. Maybe _Naruto_ was gay, and he and Sasuke had a quid pro quo agreement similar to hers with Hidan. Sasuke certainly despised failure just as much as she did… But, he'd have much more to lose. She was sure Sasuke wouldn't risk being mistaken for gay just to improve Naruto's grades. He was even more involved in church activities than she was, and theirs was a conservative congregation that quietly asked homosexuals to worship elsewhere. Worse, it didn't explain why Sasuke had been "busy" every time Sakura tried to ask him out on a date. She hated to admit it, but the facts suggested that Sasuke had a girlfriend. Or a boyfriend. God, no wonder Ino annoyed him so!

Before long, Sakura found herself in front of the second floor women's restroom. She took in the bare grey door and the icon of a stick figure in a dress with relief. Even better, the restroom was empty, probably because everyone was supposed to be in class by now. Sakura barricaded herself inside the handicapped stall at the end. She put the porcelain seat cover down and rolled out lots and lots of toilet paper.

A minute later, she heard the door open and the sound of footsteps.

"Sakura?"

It was Hidan.

_Great_.

She tried not to make any noise.

"I know you're in here."

"Come to say 'I told you so?'" said Sakura spitefully.

For a second, Hidan had no idea what the fuck she was talking about. Then, he remembered the conversation they'd had just fifteen minutes ago.

"No," he said. "Fuck, Sakura, I didn't know."

Sakura hmmpfed. "Go away."

"No."

"I don't _want_ you here!"

"Well, too damn bad! I'm going to stay here until you feel better, dammit."

"You're going to be waiting a long time, then," she snapped.

"I'll wait for as long as I need to," Hidan said calmly, leaning against the wall opposite Sakura's stall.

For a long moment, the only noise that could be heard was the sound of Sakura's barely suppressed sobs. Hidan broke the silence, hoping to distract Sakura from thoughts of Sasuke.

"Hey, did I ever tell you about the time I tried to hook up with a lesbian?"

"No," Sakura replied, feeling a bit curious in spite of herself.

"Okay, so I went to this bar that I'd never been to before. Something seemed off right from the start. There were way too many women. Anyway, I met this really hot chick sitting at a table all by herself, wearing nothing but a bikini. I asked her why she was wearing something so weird, especially since it was the middle of winter at the time. She said she had come right from work. Believe it or not, she was a model for _Playboy_! I thought that was really hot, so I asked her if she wanted to come by my apartment and do some, er-, _private_ modeling. But then, right behind me, came this big, butch-"

"Did this really happen?" Sakura asked suspiciously.

"No, I made it up," Hidan admitted.

Sakura groaned and threw a roll of toilet paper at the door of the stall.

"Come on now, Sakura," Hidan said, scratching the back of his head. "I know this all seems pretty shitty, but you'll be laughing about it in a few years. Trust me."

"Why are you being so nice?" she sniffled.

"Hey, I'm always nice."

"Liar."

Hidan was on the verge of making a witty comeback when he was interrupted by a high-pitched shriek. Ino was standing in the doorway, staring at Hidan with a mixture of shock, rage, and revulsion.

"Fuck, I forgot. This isn't what it looks like," Hidan said to Ino, backing away and raising his hands in a doomed conciliatory gesture.

"You- you pervert!"

Ino stalked across the bathroom, gripped her notebook with both hands, and brought it down hard on top of Hidan's head.

"Ow! Gitoff! Let me explain!"

"Get out!" she shrieked, buffeting him with her purse. "Get out! Get out! Get out!"

Hidan raised his arms in front of his face in an attempt to protect himself from her vicious onslaught.

"Could I have a little fucking help here, Sakura?" he said, annoyed.

Sakura emerged from the stall, only to collapse into helpless laughter at the sight of Ino whacking Hidan over the head with a Prada handbag.

"Ino please…." snort, "let him go…" giggle. "He came in to comfort me."

Ino stopped mid-buffet. "I knew it! I _knew_ you were a slut!"

"Ino, wait! That's not what happened."

Ino's eyes narrowed.

"I'm going to make sure the whole school knows exactly what you are," she growled, turning on her heel and storming out of the bathroom.

"Shit, she's gonna get a teacher."

"What are we going to do?"

"Come on," said Hidan, sprinting down the hall and pulling Sakura after him.

A janitor's closet was two doors down from the women's bathroom, and Hidan knew from experience that whoever cleaned the school over the weekend usually forgot to lock it. He pushed Sakura inside and shut the door behind them just as Ino emerged into the hallway with Anko-sensei. He took advantage of their cramped quarters to press his body flush against hers, covering her mouth with his hand to muffle her soft gasp of protest. From their hiding place, they could hear the conversation that unfolded between Ino and Anko.

"They were here a minute ago!" Ino protested. "I don't know where they could have gone."

"I don't know what you've got against Sakura, but if you waste my time like this again, I'll make you run three laps around the football field. In the rain."

"I'm not making this up!" Ino hissed, furious. "I swear I saw Hidan and Sakura kiss-"

"If you don't shut up, I'll give you detention."

Ino shut up.

Hidan and Sakura heard the sound of Anko's footsteps as she walked back to room 131, muttering about tattletales and time-wasters. A minute later, Ino left too, fuming.

Hidan grinned at Sakura, enjoying the feel of her warm, soft body molded against his.

She gave him a glare that said _you can let go now, the danger's passed_.

Hidan reluctantly released her and stepped away.

Sakura shuffled to the side, putting as much space between them as she could in the small closet. She groped for the doorknob and opened the door a crack, cautiously peeking out into the hallway. No one was there.

"See anyone?"

Sakura looked back at Hidan in the dim light and noticed that he sported a nasty gash above his eyebrow, most likely made by the clasp of Ino's purse.

"Looks like the coast is clear. Here, let me get you some paper towels. That cut looks painful."

Hidan nodded and let her go, slumping against the rack of cleaning supplies.

Sakura returned a few minutes later with a handful of wet paper towels. She knelt beside Hidan and gently dabbed at the wound.

The cut wasn't as bad as it looked, but Hidan gave an exaggerated wince and cringed away from the "excruciating" pain. He was rewarded by a grimace of sympathy and a light caress.

_Honest people are so easy to fool._

Sakura finished mopping up the blood and was about to go throw away the paper towels when Hidan caught her wrist.

"Thanks," he said quietly.

"No, thank you. You acted very… gentlemanly."

He gave her a lopsided smirk.

"Just call me Prince Charming."

She snorted. "As if."

He smiled and brought her hand to his lips.

"Hey!" she yelped, yanking her hand away as he began flicking his tongue along the inside of her wrist.

"Sorry, I couldn't help myself."

Sakura scowled at him. "That's what you always say. Take some responsibility for your actions!"

"You're just so damn irresistible," he muttered, taking her into his arms.

She considered pulling away, but eventually decided to let him hold her. At least, until he started stroking her butt… then he was going down.

It wasn't till Hidan left for the nurse's office that Sakura realized that she hadn't thought about Sasuke in nearly half an hour.

OOOOOOO

**Disclaimer:** All the homophobic, misogynistic, etc. language in this story does not reflect my views as author, only the views of the character expressing those opinions. I probably didn't need to say that, but I don't want to get flames for this and the next few chapters. Review, please =). By the way, today happens to be my father's birthday ^^. He will never read this, but happy 58th, dad!


	8. Session Five

**Session Five**

"_Guess Prince Charming isn't so charming after all" - Hidan._

He approached her that Friday, at the end of Health class. She was sorting through old homework assignments when she heard his brisk footsteps come close and stop behind her desk.

"I need to speak with you, Sakura," said Sasuke softly.

Her heart clenched tight, as if he were squeezing the life out of it with his cruel hands.

"Okay."

Sakura stiffened as Ino subtly leaned closer to them, perking up her ears.

Sasuke noticed her as well. "Let's go someplace more private."

Sakura nodded and followed Sasuke out of the classroom, clutching her schoolbag tightly to her chest. She could feel Ino's hostile gaze boring into her back as she left. The injustice of the situation made her want to scream.

_Stupid Ino! You've got it all wrong._

Sasuke led Sakura to the student council office, which was usually empty on Fridays. He checked to make sure, and let her in when he was satisfied no one was there to overhear. He locked the door behind them, as well. As the student council President, Sasuke was the only student who had the key to the office.

Sakura put down her schoolbag and sat at the Vice President's desk, looking anywhere but at Sasuke. She didn't know if she could handle being alone with him so soon after… what had happened.

_Please, God, don't let him see me cry again. Let him think I'm over him, that I don't care anymore._

"About what you saw the other day…" Sasuke began.

Sakura blushed. "I'm sorry, Sasuke. I didn't mean to walk in on you! I should have knocked."

Sasuke shook his head impatiently, dismissing her apology. "What's done is done. Can I count on you to keep quiet about it?"

The words themselves were not as surprising as the crisp, cool tone in which he spoke them. This was business to him, she realized. He was doing damage control, like a true politician.

A lump formed in Sakura's throat, almost big enough to choke on. "Yes," she replied.

"And you'll talk to Hidan?"

"Yes."

"No one can know," said Sasuke, his dark eyes serious.

"I understand," said Sakura. She knew she should leave before she got hurt any more, but she just couldn't do it. She had to know.

"Are you, uh, gay?"

"I don't know."

_How can you _not know_ something like that? _part of her wanted to yell at him, but a larger part didn't want to start a fight, even if it meant suffering through the awkward silence.

When she couldn't bear it any longer, Sakura picked up her schoolbag and headed for the door. "Well, if that's all, I need to get to class."

"Sakura…"

It sounded as if her name was torn from his lips. She turned around with her hand on the doorknob and looked at him expectantly.

Sasuke looked down and bit his lip. Sakura had never seen him look so shy, or so vulnerable. For the first time, she looked past his handsome face, brilliant mind, and long list of accomplishments, and realized that he was just a teenager, as she was.

"Thank you," he whispered.

OOOOOOO

The bell rang as Sakura left the student council office (with Sasuke, so that he would be seen in the company of a girl). Hidan was waiting for her by her locker. She felt too emotionally and physically drained to deal with him at the moment, but she would keep her promise to Sasuke nonetheless.

Hidan took one look at her face and said, "Guess Prince Charming isn't so charming after all. What did he want?"

"He didn't want anything!" Sakura protested before she realized that it wasn't strictly true. "He just wanted us to keep it a secret. You won't say anything, will you?" she asked as she opened her locker and put her textbooks inside.

"I won't say anything you don't want me to say," Hidan answered ambiguously.

Sakura frowned at him. Was he suggesting that she wanted to tell Sasuke's secret because she was hurt that he didn't want _her_? Part of her was tempted to do so, but it'd be petty and cruel, and hardly likely to win her Sasuke's undying love. Besides, she and Hidan were hardly in a position to criticize other people for making out in the guidance office.

"Although, I don't know why you're helping him," Hidan continued. "He's a fucking dick."

"Don't say that," Sakura said in a low voice. "It's not his fault."

"I can't fucking believe that you're _still_ defending him! I thought you Catholics believed that homosexuality was a sin."

"We also believe in loving the sinner. After all, we're all sinners in the eyes of God. That's why we have to go to Confession."

"Che," Hidan snorted. "Your church is lame. All those rules and shit. You should be a Jashinist. Jashin lets you do pretty much whatever the fuck you want."

"I can't deal with this right now," Sakura said tiredly, closing her locker and walking down the hall. "I'm already late for class."

"So, don't go," said Hidan, walking with her.

Sakura gave him a look. "I can't cut class."

"Why not? You only have lunch and study hall."

"And AP World History!"

"Sakura." Hidan stepped in front of her and put his hands on her shoulders. "Even I can tell that you need a break. You've never ditched before, right? Plus, the teachers think you fucking hate me. They'd never believe that we ditched together."

Sakura wanted to protest, "But I _do _hate you!" but it wasn't true, not really. "That's not the point," she said instead, avoiding his gaze.

Sure, the offer was tempting when he put it _that _way, all logic and good will. But, she wouldn't skip school- she _couldn't_. Surely he'd annoy her before long, and she'd be even further behind on her schoolwork, and she knew she'd get in trouble for ditching, no matter what he said.

Hidan took a step closer and looked down into her eyes. "Come with me. You won't regret it."

"Hey, you two," a voice called from down the hall. A fat, old hall monitor with frizzy brown hair was waddling down the hall towards them.

Hidan let go of Sakura and made a show of looking around them, even though they were obviously the only two people in the hallway. "Who, us?"

The hall monitor was not amused. "Detention."

"We have a hall pass," Hidan protested, even though they didn't. He rummaged around in his oversized pockets to make the act seem real, but Sakura knew that the hall monitor wouldn't be fooled for long. To her surprise, Hidan withdrew a pass in their name that was dated today and _signed_ by Kurenai-sensei.

The hall monitor scrutinized the pass and handed it back to Hidan with a "hmpf." "Get to class," she barked, and, just like that, they were free to walk away.

"How did you do that?" Sakura asked Hidan once they were out of earshot, a little impressed despite herself.

Hidan shrugged. "It's damn easy to steal a pad of blank hall passes, and Konan's good at forging signatures."

"She didn't even follow us to make sure we go where we're supposed to go."

"I knew the lazy-ass bitch wouldn't bother us if I picked a pass that said we were going to the other end of the school."

Sakura frowned. "You shouldn't be so disrespectful."

"Excuse me, I meant 'the beautiful, young woman who watches over the little angels who go to this school out of the kindness of her heart'."

Sakura laughed despite herself, and Hidan grinned back at her.

"In here," said Hidan, leading Sakura into an empty classroom. There was a janitor's cart outside the room, but no janitor in sight.

"Where's the janitor?" Sakura whispered.

"Smoke break," Hidan replied, crouching behind the door of the classroom. Sakura crouched beside him, and they listened as another hall monitor walked past.

When the coast was clear, Hidan stood up again and opened the door.

"We have about two and a half minutes after the hall monitor leaves before the janitor comes back."

Two and a half minutes was enough to walk quickly, yet quietly, across the hall and down the stairs to the side exit. When she and Hidan emerged into the bright sunlight, Sakura felt like a convict who had stolen from her cell rather than serving her full sentence.

Hidan led her across the parking lot toward a shiny, black Honda motorcycle. It was an impressive sight at a glance, but up close Sakura could see the scratches on the metal and the wear on the passenger seat. A single helmet dangled precariously from the left handlebar.

Hidan looked at the helmet and tossed it to Sakura. "Take it. I don't need one."

Sakura caught it, frowning. "I'm not going with you if you don't have two helmets."

"Sakura. Trust me. I'm been driving this motorcycle since I was twelve, usually drunk or high, and I haven't crashed yet."

"Won't you get a ticket?" Sakura said doubtfully. Nevertheless, she put on the helmet and buckled the strap under her chin.

"Nah." Hidan grinned. "If I see any cops, I'll make the fuckers eat my dust."

"That's it. I'm going back." Sakura turned to go back to school, forgetting she was still wearing Hidan's helmet, but Hidan caught her wrist before she could leave.

"I was kidding. There are hardly any patrols till rush hour, and I should know. I do this shit all the time. So, how about it?"

_I changed my mind. I want to go back_, Sakura thought. But, looking at the school, she felt a strange, panicky feeling. She was so afraid… afraid of getting in trouble, marring her spotless reputation, and losing her teachers' trust. Most of all, she was afraid of letting go. Though he hadn't specifically used the word "date," Sakura knew that if she went with Hidan now, it would mean letting go of the dream she'd had ever since middle school, the dream that she and Sasuke could somehow be together.

"All right," she said. "Now let go of me."

Hidan released her and straddled the motorcycle. "You're gonna have to hang on tight if you don't want to fall off."

As Sakura got on the motorcycle and wrapped her arms tightly around Hidan's waist, she spared Sasuke one last thought.

_I hope you're happy, wherever you are._

OOOOOOO

As luck would have it, Sasuke was also skipping school. Naruto had wanted to ditch, and Sasuke had only agreed because he had study hall last block on Fridays. They were going to Naruto's apartment to fool around. It was a compromise they'd worked out since Sasuke had refused to so much as touch Naruto in school after the incident in the guidance office. It was much too risky. Sasuke would not let the normal life he had carefully constructed for himself fall to pieces just because of a relationship he wasn't sure would last.

At first, it'd been difficult to convince Naruto of the need for discretion. Like your average sixteen-year-old boy, Naruto was very horny. Fortunately, Naruto had come around after a flamboyantly gay boy named Lee had been beaten up behind the school gym. Naruto hadn't wanted to get bullied again, nor had he wanted Sasuke to become a target because of him. So, they waited till after school.

Sasuke wasn't exactly pleased with the situation. Naruto's apartment was considerably out of his way, and Sasuke didn't have time to take lengthy detours if he wanted to maintain his positions as class Valedictorian, Student Council President, and church Youth Group Leader. However, with his mom working from home, Sasuke didn't have much of a choice. Besides, though he would never admit it aloud, Sasuke was a bit worried about the dobe. The part of Konoha in which Naruto lived had deteriorated rapidly over the last few years, which explained how Naruto had been able to afford an apartment on a part time salary of eight dollars an hour. It didn't quite qualify as a slum, but Naruto's neighborhood was definitely rougher than Sasuke's.

As if to prove Sasuke's point, he and Naruto turned a corner and encountered a bunch of wannabe gangsters in blue bandanas messing around outside a liquor store. They weren't doing anything suspicious, just talking loudly and shoving each other. However, Sasuke had developed an acute sense of danger, and he knew something wasn't right. He focused his attention on the thugs, trying his best to ignore his companion. Naruto was still babbling about his day at school, completely oblivious to anyone but Sasuke. He radiated warmth and contentment, reminding Sasuke why he was walking past a group of thugs outside a liquor store instead of finishing his homework in study hall. He'd be lying if he said a part of him didn't enjoy being with Naruto like this.

"So, I sat next to Hinata in English class today. She's really weird. Every time I say something to her, she turns bright red and starts poking her fingers together."

Sasuke discreetly slipped his hand out of Naruto's and stuffed it inside his pocket.

"Shut up, dobe."

"Why do I need to shut up? You shut up! And why'd you let go of my hand, huh?"

If they hadn't had the thugs' attention before, they did now. Sasuke suppressed a groan. He should have known this would happen. Naruto couldn't be subtle if his life depended on it.

The blue bandanas exchanged glances, and one of them threw an empty beer can in Sasuke and Naruto's general direction. The can landed in the gutter at Naruto's feet with a loud clatter. Naruto stiffened, but Sasuke looked straight ahead and continued walking as if nothing had happened. He could guess what was going through Naruto's head.

_Are they just drunks fucking around or are they trying to start something because they have a problem with us?_

Sasuke strongly suspected that it was the latter, but he didn't feel like getting involved in an unnecessary confrontation, especially when he and Naruto were outnumbered three to one. Unfortunately, the thugs had other ideas. A tall, black-haired punk who appeared to be their leader stepped in front of Sasuke and Naruto, blocking their path.

"Hey, look what we got here," he said in a loud voice. "A couple of faggots."

"Just ignore them, Naruto," Sasuke said calmly, pulling Naruto to the side.

It was useless, of course. Naruto never backed down from a challenge. "Takes one to know one," he muttered.

The guy's hand shot out and grabbed a fistful of Naruto's bright orange shirt. "What did you say, faggot?"

Naruto glared at him.

"I_ said_, takes one to know one. Asshole."

Naruto dodged the fist that came sailing at him and responded in kind, probably breaking the bastard's nose. Sasuke didn't have any time to gloat, however, as he was immediately jumped by two other thugs. He dodged a blow to the face, caught his attacker's wrist, and flipped him over his hip, straight into another assailant who thought he was being slick by attempting to come at Sasuke from behind. Sasuke smirked.

_Three down, three to go._

Sasuke looked over at Naruto, and his heart nearly stopped. One of the thugs had grabbed Naruto from behind, while the leader had broken a bottle of whiskey and seemed intent on ramming the broken glass into Naruto's skull. A chop to the back of the neck and the guy behind Naruto was down for the count, leaving Naruto free to grab the leader's wrist and headbutt him hard enough to draw blood. The guy collapsed, but Naruto only grinned. Sasuke wasn't too surprised. After all, the idiot had an exceptionally thick skull.

"Thanks," said Naruto, quickly moving to stand back to back with Sasuke.

The two who had attacked Sasuke were on their feet and ready for more, but a swift kick to the shin and a punch to the stomach brought them to their knees. Naruto was holding his own, giving as good as he got despite the fact that his opponent this time seemed to have some knowledge of karate. Sasuke was about to go help his friend when he felt something sharp cut into the soft flesh of his cheek. He froze. One of the attackers had a knife.

_Ohshitohshitohshit._

For an instant, he was nine again, a frightened child quaking in fear as a familiar monster stood over him with a bloody knife in his hand. Sasuke clenched his fists so tightly his nails dug into the palms of his hands, drawing blood. The pain was welcome. It cleared his head and showed him he had nothing to fear. His assailant was drunk and obviously had no idea what he was doing. Only pure coincidence and the element of surprise had allowed him to make the cut in the first place. Sasuke waited for an opening, then grabbed the man's wrist and kicked him in the stomach. He crushed the guy's hand until he screamed and released the knife. Flipping the blade around, he pointed the knife at Naruto's attacker.

"Leave."

The guy ran as fast as his legs could carry him, along with the rest of the thugs who could still move. Sasuke brought his shirtsleeve to his face and wiped the blood from his cheek. Naruto was sporting a massive black eye, but seemed otherwise unhurt.

"All right there, Sasuke?"

"I'm fine," Sasuke snapped. "No thanks to you. Must you always get us into trouble?"

"C'mon, teme, you can't say it wasn't kinda fun."

Naruto laced his fingers behind his head and gave Sasuke a brilliant smile. "That's what they get for messing with us, eh Sasuke?"

Sasuke grunted in agreement while he scanned the area, making sure no one had seen them give the group of gay-bashers what they deserved. "Come on. Let's get out of here."

" 'Kay," Naruto said happily, taking Sasuke's hand and dragging him down the street. The pressure of Naruto's thick fingers stung Sasuke's bloody palms, but the pain was warm and wonderful.

OOOOOOO

A/N: I know, I know, this chapter wasn't nearly as funny as the last one, but don't you want to know more now =)? I know a few of you don't like Sasuke, and after this chapter he is going to disappear for a while, but I believe that anytime you write a story about Sakura you have to at least mention Sasuke, since he was such a big part of her life.

Also, I do not endorse nor condone any violations of motorcycle safety laws. In real life, it is a very bad idea to ride a motorcycle without a helmet if you don't want your brains to turn to mush =D.


	9. Session Six I

**Session Six**

**(Part I)**

"_It's an ice cream, not a fucking engagement ring" – Hidan_

Suna Shopping Center was all but deserted at 1:30 pm on a Friday afternoon. The only other shoppers were stay-at-home moms with whiny children and a few kids Sakura's age, presumably fellow truants. Sakura had expected the adults working in the stores to ask what she and Hidan were doing out of school, but they took her money without asking questions. Sakura liked that. It was nice to deal with adults who treated her as an equal rather than as an untrustworthy child.

Hidan and Sakura visited the cinema first, but the only movie they could agree upon wasn't playing for another two and a half hours. Sakura was bored to tears watching Hidan browse the motorcycle section of _Mick's Sporting Goods_, but she took a certain vindictive pleasure in dragging him off to shop for sweaters and jeans at _Twenty Two_. Their last stop was somewhat of a compromise. They went to a small manga and games shop and walked out with two copies of the latest chapter of _Bleach_.

Having nothing better to do, they sat down on a bench outside the food court and read it together. Sakura "ahhh"ed when Orihime professed her love to Ichigo, while Hidan bitched and complained because nobody died.

"They're shinigami, remember?" Sakura pointed out. "They're all _already dead_."

"Ichigo can still die," said Hidan.

"Yeah, but then the series would be over!"

"They could make Ichimaru Gin the new lead. That'd be badass."

Sakura shook her head at him. "Why am I not surprised?"

"The fuck does that mean?"

"Only that I know you too well." Sakura stood up and put the manga back in her shopping bag. "We should get going."

Hidan stood up as well. He looked over Sakura's shoulder and noticed a sign with a picture of an appetizing-looking vanilla soft serve ice cream. "Come on, I'll buy you an ice cream."

Ice cream sounded like a good idea to Sakura, but she wasn't about to let Hidan buy it for her like a... well, like a boyfriend.

"I have money. I'll buy it myself," she said, following Hidan inside the ice cream shop. It was a small store with only a counter, a refrigerated display case for the ice cream, and four brightly colored tables which each sat two people. The tables were empty save for the one nearest the door, which was occupied by a pretty, young woman with a boy of about four or five and a baby in a stroller.

"Sakura," said Hidan loudly. "It's an ice cream, not a fucking engagement ring."

"Mommy," said the little boy. "What's a fucking engagement ring?"

"An engagement ring is something a man gives a woman when he loves her very much," said the woman.

"I _know_ that," her son replied in the self-assured manner common to small children. "But what's a fuckingengagement ring?"

By then, the woman was glaring at them, Hidan was laughing his ass off, and Sakura's cheeks had turned the same color as her hair.

"Are you going to order something?" the girl at the cash register broke in rudely.

"Vanilla. Small," said Sakura. "Please," she added, before rushing out of the store.

Hidan joined her on the bench outside five minutes later, still laughing. He held out her vanilla ice cream, but Sakura didn't take it.

"I hope you're pleased with yourself," she snapped. "I'll be too embarrassed to show my face inside that store ever again."

"Oh, come on. It was fucking funny."

"To you, maybe."

"Says the bitch who cracked up when Ino was hitting me over the head."

Sakura smiled sweetly. "Now thatwas funny."

Hidan scowled. "Take your fucking ice cream cone before it drips all over my hand."

Sakura took the ice cream. Hidan sat on the bench beside her and said, "So, vanilla, huh? I would've pegged you for a strawberry gal."

Sakura sniffed. "Hair color is in no way indicative of ice cream flavor preferences."

Hidan grinned, holding up his large, strawberry ice cream cone. "Guess that's true."

A companionable silence fell over them as they ate their ice creams. Sakura was surprised to realize that she was actually having fun. She couldn't even remember the last time she'd chilled at the mall with someone. _Maybe Hidan was right_, she thought. _Maybe this was a good idea_.

Sakura finished her ice cream, wiped her fingers on a napkin, and threw the napkin away in a nearby trash receptacle. Hidan took one last bite of his ice cream cone and dropped it on the floor. Sakura stared at him incredulously.

"Didn't your mother teach you to pick up after yourself?" she demanded.

Hidan shrugged. "Maybe. But my mother's a bitch."

Sakura was used to Hidan disrespecting pretty much everyone by now, but this was going too far. "How can you talk about your own mother that way? Maybe she yells at you because you don't do what you're supposed to, but I'm sure she loves you and wants what's best for you."

Hidan suddenly stepped very close to her. She thought he was going to kiss her again until she saw the anger in his eyes, fierce and terrible. For the first time, Sakura was afraid he meant to hurt her.

"You don't know _shit _about my mother," he said harshly.

"You're right. I'm sorry," she whispered.

After a tense moment, Hidan shrugged and said, "It's fine, whatever. What do you wanna do now?"

Sakura checked the time on the big clock overlooking the food court. 3:46. School was over, and after school activities as well.

"I have to go home," said Sakura. "My parents are expecting me."

"Alright, I'll drive you."

OOOOOOO

They flew south on the expressway, squeezing between the cars with the concentration and daring of a tightrope walker. Hidan's driving was reckless but skillful, and Sakura had grudgingly admitted to herself that she was probably safer riding with Hidan than with her father, who was a terrible driver. She still found it easier to bear with her eyes closed, but she needed to watch the road signs for her turnoff. The wind stung her eyes as she squinted over Hidan's shoulder and her conservative blouse and knee-length skirt provided scant protection from the biting cold, but that wasn't what disturbed her.

Riding on a motorcycle was a lot different from riding in a car. Looking out at the world from a car window was like looking at a video game screen; everything seemed distant and surreal. Riding on Hidan's motorcycle made Sakura feel naked and vulnerable, but also much more aware of the speed and the danger. Thrilling and frightening went hand in hand, as did life and death. _That's probably why Hidan likes to ride so much_, she thought.

Before she knew it, a sign announced that her exit was coming up in two miles. Sakura leaned forward and yelled, "Take the Sakura Hills exit," over the sound of the wind rushing past. She thought she saw Hidan give a curt nod of understanding, but, a minute or so later, he blew past the exit without even slowing down.

"What are you doing? You missed our turnoff!"

"I know a shortcut."

Sakura didn't believe him, but, as he'd probably guessed, she wasn't going to argue with him while he was trying to drive. She seethed as she watched the scenery change from the indefinable blur of grass and trees bordering the highway to the sad, grey buildings of a small, poor town. She didn't catch the name, but then, she didn't really care where they were. All she could think was how stupid she'd been to trust Hidan.

Hidan pulled into the parking lot of a shop that was larger and cleaner than the others. It was on the corner of the street, set a bit away from its nearest neighbors, a tattoo parlor and a fortune-telling shop.

The second Hidan stopped the bike, Sakura jumped off, shot him a foul glare, and said, "You promised to take me home."

"I will," said Hidan, "but first I'm taking you to meet the gang."

"I don't want to meet your gang!" Sakura yelled. "I said I have to go _home._ I know you probably don't care, but my parents don't know where I am, and if I don't show up soon, they're going to start worrying about me."

"Stop whining like a little bitch," Hidan suggested. "You have a cell phone. Use it."

"That's not the issue here. I will _not_ let you tell me what to do."

Hidan shrugged. "Then you can hitchhike home."

Sakura took a deep breath and exhaled explosively. She didn't understand Hidan. Sometimes he acted like she meant more to him than anything else in the world, and sometimes he couldn't care less.

"You're a sick, manipulative asshole."

"I love you, too."

OOOOOOO

In the end, Sakura called her parents, as they both knew she would. Sakura's mom answered. She sounded surprised that Sakura was going out on a Friday night, but also pleased and relieved that her lonely daughter was finally making some new friends.

_She wouldn't be so pleased if she knew who my new "friends" were_, Sakura thought. Last year, hell, last _week_, she would have never imagined herself hanging out with a bunch of gangsters. Yet, the shop hardly looked like a criminal hideout. It was a small, square, white building with the name "Pain's Motors" written atop the door in neat, black lettering. A garage was attached to the side of the building. The door was closed so Sakura couldn't see inside, but she assumed this was where the motorcycles were kept. Despite its modest size, the shop appeared clean and well maintained. There was no litter in the parking lot or streaks on the windows. A sign on the front door said the shop closed at four.

Hidan marched up to the door and knocked twice, waited a few seconds, then knocked again. Sakura could hear footsteps, loud voices, and then someone's curse. A minute later, Konan opened the door.

"Sakura," she said, surprised. She and Hidan exchanged a look. "Come in."

The inside of the shop was painted beige. Both motorcycles and motorized scooters were for sale. There was a price list for washes, waxes, oil changes, and various repairs on the counter. Konan led Hidan and Sakura behind the counter and through a door into the back of the shop.

Standing there were the three strangest looking men Sakura had ever seen. The one on the left was an androgynous youth with a mechanical scope in place of his right eye and long blonde hair pulled up into a high ponytail. Sakura would have sworn he was a girl until she caught sight of his muscular chest through his tight, fishnet shirt. The middle one was the shortest of the three, with close cut red hair and cool grey eyes. He would've passed for normal were it not for his skin, which was oddly shiny and hard like plastic. Yet, the one on the left was the strangest by far. He was freakishly tall for a Japanese man with_ blue_ skin, beedy little eyes, and teeth like razors.

"Who're you?" the blonde guy asked rudely.

"Watch it, Deidara-chan," Hidan said mockingly. "Sakura's my girl."

"I am not your girl," said Sakura at the same time as Deidara said, "Asshole"

"Ignore him," said the redhead in a voice that was as cool and hard as his skin. "I am Sasori."

The big blue man grinned, showing off his sharp teeth. Sakura shuddered. He introduced himself as Hoshigaki Kisame.

"Nice to meet you," Sakura said nervously. "You're all members of the Akatsuki?"

Sasori nodded.

"Not all of them," said Hidan. "Where are Pain and Itachi?"

"Pain's off on some errand, and Itachi's downstairs with Weed Boy," Deidara replied.

"At least Zetsu is useful," said Sasori. "You're nothing more than a glorified street artist."

"My clay bombs are more useful than your silly little puppet shows," Deidara shot back. "And more artistic."

"Enough," said Kisame. "Itachi's coming."

As if on cue, the basement door opened to reveal the most gorgeous man Sakura had ever seen. He was slim, yet muscular, with high cheekbones, a small mouth, and soft, grey hair tied back at the nape of his neck. Sakura was struck by the two deep lines on either side of his nose, but most of all by his eyes. His eyes were beautiful and terrible all at once. He had large eyes with long eyelashes and irises stained a deep crimson, the color of wine… or blood.

Something about his face was very familiar, but Sakura couldn't put her finger on it. She extended her hand to the stranger and said, "Hello. I'm Haruno Sakura."

Itachi looked down at her hand, but didn't take it. "Uchiha Itachi."

"Are you related to Uchiha Sasuke? He goes to our school."

Itachi looked away. "No."

"Oh. I could've sworn… you look just like him."

Itachi said nothing. The silence seemed to grow more uncomfortable by the second.

"Excuse me," Itachi said finally. He walked away abruptly and began to converse with Kisame in a low voice.

Sakura turned to Hidan. "Did I say something wrong?" she asked worriedly.

"Nah, that's just Itachi. He hardly talks to anyone except Kisame."

"Why not?"

Hidan shrugged. "That's Itachi's business. He has to talk to Kisame though, cause Kisame's his partner."

"His partner?"

"The gang gets in some pretty deep shit sometimes, so Pain, our leader, assigned us all a partner to watch our back. The teams are Sasori and Deidara, Kisame and Itachi, and Pain and Konan. Zetsu doesn't have a partner because he mostly just hangs around the hideout and guards the weed."

"Who's your partner?"

Hidan smirked. "Well, my partner used to be Kakuzu…"

"Used to be? What happened?"

"He got arrested."

"What did he do?"

"He went behind Pain's back and started dealing smack. Heroin, Sakura," he explained, correctly interpreting her confused expression.

"But the rest of you don't deal drugs," Sakura confirmed.

Hidan smiled at her, amused.

"We push a little pot sometimes, but pot's basically harmless. Well, unless you go overboard, but we're not responsible for that. Pain doesn't want us pushing smack, though. That shit's rough and the cops've been cracking down lately."

"Why did Kakuzu do it then?"

"He did it for the money, of course. Fucker would sell his own mother if the price was right. Anyway, the idiot tried to sell to a narc. Pain would have busted him out, but he broke the rules."

Sakura didn't know what to say. "Um, I'm sorry."

"Don't be. I fucking hated the greedy ass bastard. I like it much better solo."

"But you don't have anyone to watch your back," Sakura pointed out.

Hidan put a hand over his heart. "Are you actually worried about me? I'm touched."

Sakura scowled. "Touched in the head, maybe."

"Ouch. She bites."

Sakura stuck her tongue out at him.

He laughed. "Come on, I'll take you to meet Zetsu."

Hidan led her through the same door Itachi had come through into the basement of the shop. It was very dark. Sakura wondered how Itachi had been able to see down here. She figured he must have exceptional night vision.

"Close the door," said Hidan.

Sakura hesitated for fear of being plunged into total blackness.

"Oh, right." Hidan reached behind Sakura and pressed a light switch. A single lightbulb flickered a few times before bathing the room in dim, yellow light. The corners of the room were still heavily shadowed, but Sakura could see well enough to feel comfortable closing the door and following Hidan down the steps. The basement smelled dank and musky, and Sakura could hear a steady _drip drip_ coming from somewhere in the far left corner.

"It sounds like you have a leak," Sakura commented.

Hidan shrugged. "It's hard to get a plumber down here, for obvious reasons, and our clients don't really mind."

When she and Hidan reached the bottom of the stair, Sakura heard a sound like leaves rustling. A rich, dark voice emerged from the shadows. "Hidan, you must introduce me to our guest."

"Zetsu, this is Sakura. Sakura, Zetsu."

"It's nice to meet you Zetsu, but I'm afraid I can't see you very well," said Sakura politely. "Won't you come upstairs with us?"

"I prefer the shadows," said Zetsu. "I do not look so human as my brothers."

Before Sakura could reply, another voice complained, "So he says. We never get to have any fun."

"Who was that?" Sakura asked, surprised.

"White Zetsu," said Hidan, as though it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Well then, who was I talking to before?"

"Black Zetsu."

"So, Zetsu is two people?" Sakura was very confused.

"He's two people in one. He's one of those freaks with a split personality," Hidan explained.

"Us? Freaks?" White Zetsu laughed. "He must not have shown her his ritual yet."

"What ritual?" Sakura asked. "Does it have something to do with Jashin?"

Hidan rolled his eyes. "Do I have any other God?"

"I was just asking a question," Sakura grumbled. "You don't have to be a smartass about it."

Hidan was about to show her just how much of a smartass he could be when a door slammed upstairs and the mindless chatter ceased.

"What happened?" Sakura whispered.

Hidan smirked. "It looks like our fearless leader has returned."

OOOOOOO

**A/N:** Lest you get very, very confused, Itachi was lying when he said he wasn't related to Sasuke. Doubtless you are also wondering why Sakura doesn't already know that Sasuke has an older brother named Itachi. This will be explained very thoroughly a few chapters from now. Also, Uchiha Madara does not exist in this story. Pain is the true leader of the Akatsuki, as it should be.


	10. Session Six II

A/N: This takes place immediately after my last post, so you may want to go back to refresh your memory.

Also, I am delighted to report that this story now has fan art! It's for the makeout scene in the guidance office, it was drawn by missmocha77, and can be found at

.com/art/HidaSaku-271229251.

Thanks to everyone who hasn't lost interest in this story despite the fact that I write slower than a sea slug in the desert, especially my beta reader, known on here as Blubelba.

OOOOOOO

**Session Six**

**(Part II)**

"_And a virgin drink for the virgin" – Hidan._

"Where did he go?" Sakura asked.

Hidan shrugged. "Dunno. Wherever he always goes, I guess. He doesn't usually tell us."

"Oh."

"Let's go back upstairs," said Hidan. "Pain'll want to meet you."

"I will remain here," said (black?) Zetsu. "Goodbye, Sakura-san."

"It was nice to meet you…both," Sakura said politely. As she and Hidan climbed back up the stairs, she asked, "Is Pain his real name?"

Hidan rolled his eyes. "Of course not. He has another name, but only Konan is allowed to use it."

Sakura waited. When Hidan didn't say anything more, she asked, "Are you going to tell me what it is?"

"Hopefully Pain'll tell you himself. If he tells you his real name, it means he trusts you. Now stop fucking stalling and go on," said Hidan, practically pushing her through the door.

Sakura looked up and quickly looked away again. Pain was kissing Konan so thoroughly it made her blush. She thought she remembered Hidan telling her that they were dating. Pain broke the kiss after a few seconds and stepped away from Konan, giving Sakura her first good look at his face.

He was tall and thin, with steel grey eyes and bright orange hair, which might have been the most unusual thing about him, if not for the piercings. She had never seen anyone with so many facial piercings. Pain's outer ears were completely covered with metal, as were both nostrils. He had several piercings going through each eyebrow, a few more on his lower lip, and when he'd opened his mouth to kiss Konan, she even thought she saw a tongue piercing.

Pain turned his head slightly and looked straight at Sakura. "Who are you?" he asked.

Hidan stepped forward. "She's with me."

"She's Hidan's new girlfriend," said Deidara.

"I'm _not _his girlfriend!" Sakura protested. "We're just friends."

"Do you have a name, friend of Hidan?" Pain inquired.

Sakura blushed. "My name is Sakura Haruno."

"I am Pain. Welcome to my store. Would you like something to drink?"

"Yes, please. I'll have a Diet Coke."

"I'm afraid we don't have any soft drinks. We have rum, whiskey, tequila, beer, and vodka."

"Oh, right," Sakura blushed again, feeling like an idiot. Of course Pain was talking about alcohol. She was with a gang, not at a friend's house! "Just tap water, please."

Deidara went to get her water and then invited her to join him and Sasori. Kisame and Konan joined them soon after, and the four of them began to talk about people Sakura didn't know. She gathered they were from another gang. The Akatsuki had apparently been having trouble with a gang called Sound, named for the music notes on their bandanas and their unfortunate preoccupation with screaming rock music. Sound usually respected the Akatsuki's claim to the area south of Konoha because they knew that the gang was tough despite its small size, but, lately, some punk called Zaku had been running his mouth and trying to stir up trouble. Zaku didn't have many followers within Sound, only a bald guy called Dosu and a few women. Kisame and Deidara wanted to go "teach Zaku a lesson," but Konan told Sakura that they were merely keeping an eye on the situation, and would only move when Pain gave the order to attack.

Meanwhile, Pain took Hidan aside and whispered, "What were you thinking, bringing her here?"

The reproach in Pain's voice took Hidan aback. "What's your problem, man? I've brought chicks here before…"

"Sluts and stoners, not middle-class suburbanites. They wouldn't dare to rat us out, and, if they did, no one would believe them. This girl is different. I won't stop you from pursuing her if you've changed your type, but I won't let you bring her here again. How do you know she won't go to the police and tell them we kidnapped her or some such bullshit?"

"Sakura wouldn't do that," said Hidan, but in his heart, he wasn't so sure. Technically, he _had _kidnapped Sakura, and she_ had _said she didn't want to meet the other members of his gang. He thought she was different than Kohana, less bitchy, but if he was wrong and she _did_ go to the cops… well, they'd be screwed.

Pain studied Hidan for a while, and finally said, "I hope you're right, for her sake as well as ours."

A chill ran down Hidan's spine. Pain did not make idle threats, and he always followed through with everything he said. If Sakura betrayed them, Pain _would_ hurt her, and hurt her badly. Fortunately, he seriously doubted that Sakura was that treacherous… or that stupid.

Over with the rest of the Akatsuki, Sakura was trying to look at Kisame without being too obvious about it, while wondering how she could politely inquire how his skin came to be such an odd color. And were those _gills_ on the side of his face? It couldn't be… right?

Kisame sighed. "Just ask already."

"What?"

"You want to know why I'm blue and why I have gills."

Sakura stared at him. "What—what did you say?"

"I. Am. Blue. And. I. Have. Gills."

Sakura knew what he was doing. He was trying to get her to ask why he had gills so he could make fun of her for believing such a ridiculous lie. It was just like the time in 8th grade when Ino had asked her if she'd wanted to smoke a cigarette with her. Sakura had been so happy to have her friend back she'd said "yes" right away, but Ino only gave her a dirty look and said she thought smoking was disgusting. Sakura still didn't know if she could have passed Ino's test by declining the offer, or if Ino would have made fun of her no matter what.

"I… don't believe you," Sakura said uncertainly.

"It's true," said Deidara, joining in. "I have mouths in my hands."

"Stop it," Sakura said, getting upset. "Stop making fun of me!"

"We're not making fun of you," said Deidara, shoving the palm of his hand in front of Sakura's face. "Look."

Sure enough, Deidara had what looked like a human mouth on the palm of his hand. The lips opened and closed as she watched, and a pink tongue darted out to lick her cheek.

When Deidara took his hand away, Sakura was severely shaken. "What _are_ you?" she whispered.

"Human experiments," said Kisame.

"Human… experiments," Sakura repeated.

"Yeah," said Deidara.

"But what is that—how is that even possible?"

"It's what happens when men with lots of money give that money to scientists with lots of crazy ideas," said Sasori. Sakura jumped at the sound of his voice. She hadn't known he was standing behind her, listening to their conversation. "I am one of them too, as is Zetsu. Itachi, Pain, and Konan are fully human, as is your precious Hidan. We met them after we escaped from the facility."

"What facility?" Sakura asked.

"It was a secret underground military research facility on Chikoku Island,*" Sasori replied. Sakura gave a soft gasp. She'd been to Chikoku Island! It was a small island about a 30-minute drive and a short boat ride away from Konoha that provided a cheap vacationing spot for campers and beachgoers. A small plot of land on the west side of the island was designated "private property" and was closed off with a high, barbed wire fence. Sakura had always heard that the owner used the land to hunt. It was insane to think it concealed the entrance to a secret underground research facility! It was like something that would happen in a movie, not real life. But still… she could see the _mouths _on Deidara's _hands_! That was _not_ normal!

"Not the Chikoku Island right outside Konoha?"

"The very same," Sasori confirmed. "We were created by combining genetically-enhanced DNA with human stem cells. In Kisame's case, they used genetically-enhanced shark DNA, in Zetsu's case, they used plant DNA, and in Deidara's and my case, they used a combination of animal, mineral, and human DNA. We were held separately in titanium-reinforced cages, and we were rarely allowed any human interaction. Every 6 months they would stop feeding us for a couple of days to weaken us, then they'd put us in restraining harnesses and take us to see the head scientist. He was a young man with silver-grey hair and a creepy smile. We called him Megane-sensei** because of the large, round glasses he wore. He'd ask us some questions about our abilities, take blood samples, and scribble something in his notebook. When he was done with us, he would put us into a holding area with 50 or so other 'experiments' so he and the other scientists could watch us interact. Usually, we just talked, since we were all restrained, but every so often, someone would get free and try to escape. That never ended well. Sometimes, the escapees managed to kill a few scientists, but they were always recaptured in the end."

"Ugh, you're taking forever," Deidara interrupted. "Get to the good part."

Sasori glared at him. "Unlike you, some of us do not have infinitesimal attention spans. Anyway, on one of these observation days, a bomb went off inside the research facility. "

"Most of the 'experiments' were killed, but we escaped," said Kisame. "Zetsu, Sasori, and Deidara stole a boat, and I swam to the mainland. Pain found us, we formed the Akatsuki, and the rest is history."

"We were the original five members of the Akatsuki," Deidara said proudly. "Kakuzu joined later, then Itachi, then Hidan. Konan was the last one to join, and the first female."

Sakura didn't know what to say. "That's just… wow…"

"We've never told anyone before," said Kisame, which made Sakura feel kind of…special.

"At least, not anyone who was sober enough to remember," said Deidara. At Sakura's questioning look, he added, "What, you think you're the first chick Hidan's brought here? Although, you are definitely the classiest."

Sasori shot Deidara a glare that said _shut up idiot_, but Deidara ignored him and asked Kisame if he remembered "that crack whore Hidan brought who was so stoned she thought it was the drugs making his skin look blue."

Sakura felt a little…Not disappointed. Annoyed. She knew Hidan hit on lots of women and prided himself on his playboy status. In fact, it was one of the reasons why she wouldn't respond to his advances. But, she also knew he didn't really care about any of those women. When he first brought her to Pain's she'd thought it meant something. It was flattering, even though she didn't feel the same way. It was nice to get attention from a guy, for once, even if it wasn't the guy she wanted. Now she knew this was just part of Hidan's routine when he was looking for an easy lay. He didn't even want her, he just wanted to fuck her.

Konan came up behind Sakura and set a bottle of vodka down on the table. Her eyes were bright and her face was a bit flushed. "Well, let's go," she said.

"Go where?" Sasori inquired.

"Vick's, of course."

Pain looked over at them from where he was sitting with Hidan and Itachi and said, "Let Hidan take Sakura home first."

"Why? She can come with us," said Hidan.

Pain looked at him incredulously and said, "You want to take your friend to Vick's?"

"What's Vick's?"

"It's a bar," Hidan said calmly.

"I'm too young to go to a bar, and so are you," said Sakura.

"Relax. You don't have to drink. Think of it as an educational experience," Hidan advised.

"Hidan, do you remember what happened the last time we went to Vick's?" Sasori asked.

"It grew back, didn't it? Don't be such a fucking pussy."

"I was merely concerned for your girlfriend," Sasori said coolly.

"I am _not_—"

"Girlfriend or not, I don't think she wants to get caught in the middle of a bar fight," Pain interrupted.

"There are fights at Vick's?" Sakura hoped she didn't sound too apprehensive, though she was liking the idea of going to Vick's less and less.

"Sometimes," said Hidan.

"All the time," said Deidara, grinning.

"Bullshit," Hidan replied. "Something doesn't happen every time."

"Name a time we went to Vick's and didn't get into a fight," Deidara challenged.

"Last month-"

"Some punk hit Pain and I smashed a bottle into his face," said Konan.

"On my 20th birthday-"

"You fought some guys over a girl, and I had to carry you back here because Kakuzu was negotiating a business deal," said Kisame.

"I can't remember them because they were so fucking _boring_," Hidan concluded. "It's always easier to remember days when something actually happened.

"You can't remember them because they don't exist," said Deidara.

"For once, I agree," said Sasori.

"Fuck you all," said Hidan. "Fighting's the best part of being in a gang."

"Sakura isn't in the Akatsuki," Pain pointed out.

"And I don't like to fight," Sakura added.

"_That_ is bullshit," Hidan said confidently.

"No it's not!" Sakura said, suddenly upset. "You don't know anything about me."

"Then why are you always fighting with me?"

Sakura opened her mouth to retort, but found she couldn't come up with anything.

"Soooo," said Deidara. "Are we gonna go now?"

OOOOOOO

Vick's didn't look like much from the outside. It was less than 15 minutes away from Pain's Motors, which was apparently all it took to get from the sort-of-sketchy part of town to the bad part of town. Judging from the looks she was getting from the guys in the parking lot, Sakura was actually glad to be there with a gang.

The members of Akatsuki all parked their bikes and followed Pain into the bar. Sakura went in last, and, for a moment, she was confused because everyone had stopped by the door.

Then she saw the bandanas. Most of the people in the bar had musical notes on their bandanas, which, judging from what Konan had told her, meant they were members of the Sound gang.

_Oh well, _Sakura thought. She hadn't really wanted to go to the bar anyway.

The members of the Akatsuki looked to Pain to see what he would do. When he didn't either leave or go further into the bar, Hidan decided to take matters into his own hands.

"They don't own the fucking bar," Hidan announced, taking a seat by the bar. After a tense moment, the Sound gangsters went back to doing whatever they were doing. Three of them were sitting on the opposite end of the bar from Hidan, four of them were sitting at a table playing cards, and a bunch of them were gathered around the pool table, betting on a game.

Pain, Konan, Sasori, and Itachi got a table, and Deidara and Kisame joined Hidan at the bar. Kisame was wearing an oversize hoodie so that his blue skin was in shadow, and Deidara was wearing gloves to hide the mouths on his hands. Though, from the way he was scratching his palms, Sakura suspected that the gloves must itch horribly.

Deidara and Kisame sat to the left of Hidan, and Sakura sat on his right.

"I'll have a vodka. Straight up," Hidan said to the bartender. "And a virgin cocktail for the virgin."

"Hidan!"

Hidan raised an eyebrow. "Well, aren't you?"

"Yes, but that's not the point!" Sakura hissed.

"800 yen," the bartender said to Hidan. Hidan paid him, and a minute later he came by with their drinks. Sakura's tasted like pineapple and coconut. ("Add alcohol and you'd have a piña colada," said Hidan.)

Sakura and Hidan talked to Kisame and Deidara for a while, and then Hidan introduced her to the proprietor of the establishment. Vick was a tall, bald guy with thick eyebrows and bulging muscles. He didn't say much, but he had large, expressive eyes. Sakura thought he seemed like the type who didn't get angry often, but when he did, all hell broke loose. When she told Hidan this, he laughed and said she was right on the money (an expression he had no doubt picked up from Kakuzu).

While Hidan was in the middle of a story about the time Vick broke his own bar stool, Sakura felt something brush up against her butt. She turned around and saw a skinny guy with spiky hair and a Sound bandana grinning insolently at her.

Hidan wound a possessive arm around her waist. "Keep your fucking hands off my woman," he growled, glaring at the Sound gangster.

"I'm not your woman," Sakura snapped, offended at being treated like an object.

Hidan shot her an exasperated look that said, _I know you're not, but now would be a fucking good time to play along._

The stranger laughed. "Tough luck, dude. Looks like she's up for grabs."

His hand closed around Sakura's wrist as he pulled her off the bar stool. Her nose bumped into his chest, and she wrinkled her nose at the smell of alcohol on his breath. Sakura heard a rough, scraping sound as Hidan pushed away his chair and got to his feet. She hoped he wouldn't do anything stupid, but, knowing him, that was like hoping for a camel that could fit through the eye of a needle.

Meanwhile, the members of the Sound and the Akatsuki stood up and glared at each other, each daring the other side to throw the first punch. Hidan had to fucking _kill _the fucker _right fucking now_, but dammit, this was a gang matter and he couldn't move until Pain gave the okay.

A mantra of _this is not good, this is not good, this is REALLY not good_ was running through Sakura's head, but shetried to laugh it off and walk away.

"Hey you didn't mean anything by it, right?" she said to the guy, forcing a smile. She tried to pull away, but he grabbed her wrist tighter. _What an asshole._

"Let go," she hissed.

He laughed again, pulled her closer, and patted her ass. She could feel him smirking at Hidan over her shoulder, waiting for Hidan to challenge him as if she was nothing more than a pretty object to be possessed by the alpha male. _Well, screw that!_

Sakura raised her leg and came down hard on his instep, hearing a crunching noise that might have been the sound of bone breaking.

He screamed, but the sound was cut off when she slammed her fist into his face with the force of a bullet train. He flew backward, sliding across one of the tables until his head hit the wall with a sickening crack.

Sakura lowered her arm to her side, panting heavily.

Members of both gangs stared at her incredulously.

_Oops._

OOOOOOO

*Chikoku Island is an island I made up. The "chi" part comes from "chiisai," which means small. I don't know what "koku" means, but it's a suffix used for a lot of Japanese islands.

**Megane-sensei means "Dr. Glasses." I won't refer to this character by his real name for several chapters (because Kisame et. al don't know his real name), but you should be able to guess who it is.

Also, 800 yen is about $8. I almost put it in dollars, 'cause, whatever, they probably don't have piña coladas in Japanese bars anyway…but I have to draw the research line at some point or chapters won't get posted.


End file.
